Foresight: The Knowing Hero
by fictionrulesmylife97
Summary: When Mirai Himori showed up to her first day at U.A. High, she was pretty sure she was the bane of Shoto Todoroki's existence. However, as she finds her place in this new superhero high school and overcomes the challenges in front of her on her path to be a hero, she might find she was wrong about that. Todoroki/OC. Season 1 and 2A complete!
1. It begins

**So I had a fleeting moment of a concept for this story and then I pictured this one scene in it, and then another, and then another, and finally I was like "OK, let's do it, let's stay up until 6:30am because Shoto Todoroki deserves happiness." Refer to my note at the bottom but I'm currently re-editing the early chapters that have some errors in them in between updates, so bear with the minor grammar and punctuation errors sorry! Some of the minor storyline issues can't be fixed, but the quality gets better in later chapters (I swear).  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Acadamia, I just own my OC character.**

* * *

 **Character Profile: Mirai Himori**

 **Appearance: Blue eyes, long blue hair worn in high pigtails, fine features. (See cover picture.)**

 **Quirk: Foresight – She can see potential visions of the future and base her decisions on which future to take. Her visions are clearer and more distinct the closer they are to the current time.**

 **Affiliation: U.A. High School Hero Class 1A**

 ** **Height: 148cm****

 **Birthday: November 1st  
**

 **Blood Type: AB**

 **Likes: Chicken Karaage (by the boatload)**

* * *

 **Foresight: The Knowing Hero  
**

 **Chapter One: It begins.**

* * *

The hallways of U.A. High School were eerily silent as I made my way through them. My footsteps echoed down the corridor in time with my rapid heartbeat and I took a deep breath, hoping it would calm me down.

I was late. I was late and it was the first day of school.

 _Perfect._

I could almost see my mother laughing at me in my mind's eye. Of all the people to end up late due to unforeseen events, I was the bottom of the list. I shouldn't have even _been_ on the list.

And yet, here I was.

I had a moment to wish forlornly that the morning had gone how I had hoped. I would have turned up early, started a conversation with a classmate and made some progress in getting to know my peers. And then I would have parked myself at a desk near a window to prepare myself for the long day that would follow.

Not quite the current situation.

The few stragglers I saw all seemed to be in their own rushes to get to class and I was glad when I reached the hallway that I knew my homeroom was in. _Finally_. Maybe I could start my blossoming hero career without a detention on the first day.

Excitement began to bubble up in my chest as I eyed the door, but I pushed it down. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to feel giddy about where I was. My focus was on not making a poor impression on my first day.

The doorway leading into Class 1A was open as I approached and I hesitated, gauging the situation. I could see three students – my future classmates – all standing in the doorway, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, and my gaze zoned in on the man just inside the doorway with his back to me. The homeroom teacher, I presumed.

It took all of three seconds to understand why my classmates were staring at him in shock. He looked like he was homeless, and the sleeping bag he was slowly stepping out of didn't help the impression. He began addressing the room and I frowned as I contemplated my next move.

If only I hadn't been late. I had been running on time until I got a call from the hospital asking me to come in for some paperwork. An unexpected event that threw the entire morning off track and now I watched as my teacher spoke in front of me.

I decided rather quickly though, that there was no way around it and I carefully slipped through the gap between the teacher and the doorway, edging my way into the room as quietly as I could while he continued to speak. As long as he was distracted by the rest of the students, I could make my way to the back of the room and find a seat like I'd been there the whole-

"…limited. You kids are not rational enough. Especially you, Himori. Trying to sneak passed me is a useless effort."

I froze.

Yeah, I should have known that wouldn't work.

 _Shit._

I felt a flush take over my face as the room turned its attention to me. Twenty pairs of eyes were suddenly focused on me and it didn't help the heat that I could feel spreading across my face.

I closed my eyes, taking a moment to check forward and make sure that what I was about to say was correct, before I turned to my new homeroom teacher. He looked like he hadn't shaved or slept in weeks as he eyed me neutrally. I gave him the biggest smile that I could.

"I'm sorry, Aizawa-sensei. I didn't mean to be late, but something came up. I'll make sure to be early next time."

"Flattery will get you nowhere in my class, Himori. Keep that in mind in future." He replied, sounding bored and I bit back my sigh of disappointment.

It wasn't that surprising. A man who came to work looking like _that_ wasn't the type to allow manners and compliments to interfere with his opinions. He didn't look like he actually cared that much that I was late though. He looked like he didn't really care about anything.

"As Himori stated, I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Nice to meet you." He continued, turning his attention to the class, before he reached into the sleeping bag he was holding and pulled out a blue sports uniform. "It's kind of sudden, but put this on and go out onto the field."

I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise, before a smile spread across my face. Practical classes ten minutes into the first day? Interesting.

I could see the rest of the class was surprised by the turn of events as well as they watched the teacher. But I assumed that U.A. was going to have a lot of surprises over the next three years.

It was like someone hit fast forward on a remote because everyone filed out of the room pretty quickly, presumably to go find our own uniforms in the locker rooms. The air was filled with nervous tension and excitement as I made to join them. But I stopped when I heard a familiar voice speak from behind me.

"Mirai."

I froze again, easily recognising the voice. _No way_ , I thought to myself. Of all the options, all the futures, and this was what was happening. But of course, if I thought about it, it shouldn't have been very surprising.

U.A. held surprises indeed.

I kind of wanted to kick myself for not having considered the scenario, so naïve, but I turned to look at the boy behind me anyway. He was staring down at me with a neutral expression.

"Shoto." I replied to him, meeting his gaze evenly. The silence stretched out for a moment as we surveyed each other. His red and white hair slightly obscured his face and his mismatched, blue and grey eyes watched me with barely any emotion present. However, I thought I could see annoyance hidden in the depths of them. I knew he wasn't pleased with having found ourselves in this situation.

 _Yeah, this situation isn't ideal for me either, you know_. I thought to myself as I watched him.

"You're at U.A." He stated calmly, finally breaking the silence and I nodded.

"As are you, apparently."

"In this class."

"Yep."

"Did my father send you here to watch me?" He asked me and I noticed his eyes had narrowed minutely. I wasn't sure whether to stare at him incredulously, laugh, or punch him.

Why would Shoto's father send me to watch him? Did he think that me telling him I planned on being a hero was just an elaborate ruse to be his father's spy? Why would I agree to that? I didn't linger on the last thought for long, and my own eyes narrowed as I eyed him.

"No. Your father doesn't have that much influence in what I do with my life." I paused, contemplating it for a moment as he watched me. "Although, I suppose if I had planned on going anywhere else, he may have. But as I told you before, Shoto, I want to be a hero. U.A. is where that's done best, thus, I am here."

I gestured down at myself to elaborate my point, surprising myself with my confident demeanour. I was pretty sure the nerves and adrenaline of my first day were getting to me, but I'd given up a lot to make sure I made it to this school. U.A. was my time to shine. Shoto's eyes followed the trail of my hand as I pointed out my new uniform, before he met my gaze again with clear disinterest on his face.

I never understood how he had such control over his emotions. He never showed anything. It was always locked up inside, cool indifference the only thing visible – which was what he showed now.

When I had first met him, I had wondered if perhaps he genuinely had no feelings, that he just didn't care for anything. That impression only lasted all of five minutes before I had decided that Shoto Todoroki was a complicated person. And I had yet to figure out a way to manage that.

"Stay out of my way." Shoto finally spoke up quietly, before he slowly walked passed me, his shoulder brushing mine as he made his way out of the classroom.

I frowned after him for a moment, before releasing a sigh as I turned to the empty room. I hadn't even had an opportunity to figure out what desk was mine yet. But I supposed that it would have to wait until after the impromptu outdoor class.

With a jolt, I realised I was wasting time, and not wanting to incur the wrath of Aizawa twice in less than an hour, I rushed to the locker rooms to get changed.

* * *

I barely had enough time to give the fellow girls in my class a rushed smile, before I was yanking off my uniform and shoving on the gym clothes from my assigned locker. Introductions would have to wait until later, right now I felt pretty anxious to get down to the fields before I was called out by the teacher again.

Surprisingly though, when I arrived at the field, I noted that I was not the last person to arrive.

I watched as a blond boy with a black lightning bolt running through his hair hurried towards the rest of the group, along with another boy with black hair and curiously shaped elbows. They were grinning at each other as they made their way over. _Fast friends_ , I thought as I watched them.

I turned my attention back to the rest of my classmates as we waited for them to arrive. My new homeroom teacher was standing in front of the class and I could practically feel the mix of excitement and anxiety leaking off everyone as we stood there in silence. I noticed a girl with pink skin and horns was glancing around, looking like she wanted to make conversation but her eyes shifted to our teacher and she hesitated, before staying silent.

"Now that you're all here, I'd like to get started." Aizawa drawled as he watched us. The dark circles under his eyes added to his cold, disinterested demeanour. I kind of wondered if he was contemplating taking a nap while he made us run laps around the field. I wasn't really sure what we were supposed to be doing out here anyway. "Today we'll be doing a Quirk apprehension test."

Well, that answered that.

"A Quirk apprehension test?" The class exclaimed in surprise.

"What about the entrance ceremony? The orientation?" A girl near the front asked anxiously. I recognised her as one of the students I'd noticed when I first walked into the classroom. She had brown hair, brown eyes and rosy cheeks. She looked too sweet and innocent to be in the hero course, but I doubted I had the right to make that judgement considering my own small stature and harmless appearance.

"If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events." Aizawa explained shortly and I pondered it.

Huh, perhaps he was right, although he certainly took the no-nonsense attitude to an extreme. But I also thought it was surprising, and kind of satisfying that in the first hour of our high school careers we were assessing our Quirks. From the look of it though, it was only physical applications of it. Which didn't work out quite as nicely for me, but it wasn't really surprising.

A large bang and a scream of 'Die!' shook me from my thoughts and I turned to see an explosion as a ball was shot across the field. I hadn't realised I'd zoned out so much, contemplating it all and I turned to take in the person who had sent the ball flying. I frowned at the blond boy, recognising him.

Katsuki Bakugo. He'd been in the same area as me during the entrance exam. I remembered him being unstoppable, which was impressive, but it also meant that there had been fewer points to share around between the rest of us.

Also, from what I'd seen that day, he was a total asshole. So that hadn't helped my opinion.

So, I thought, turning back to where Aizawa was now addressing the group again. Assessing Quirks through medial middle school P.E. exercises. It made sense, I guessed.

I watched as my fellow classmates began to grow excited at the prospect, and how our day was turning out. I couldn't help feeling disappointed though. The first day, and everyone had been granted the opportunity to show off their Quirks to the class. An opportunity that was basically useless to me.

One of the boys I'd noticed earlier enthusiastically commented about the use of Quirks during school and how exciting it was. I went to glance at him, but stopped when Aizawa began speaking again, a strange expression on his face.

"You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?" He asked lowly, his voice almost ominous and I frowned at Aizawa. I understood where he was coming from, we were training to be heroes. The people who restored peace and saved lives. Three years wasn't an extremely long time.

However, being excited about the use of our Quirks on our first day at U.A. – something that hadn't been allowed during middle school – _was_ something to be excited about. I stayed silent though, watching, curious about what he had to say. This would be interesting.

"All right," he continued, eyeing the class. "Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential… and will be punished with expulsion."

Okay. Well, that wasn't good.

I felt my muscles tense up automatically as my heart began to speed up and panic compressed my chest. My Quirk was purely mental, no physical benefit. If everyone here was able to enhance their scores with Quirks, and I was left with my normal results, it would not go well. I hadn't spent all this time training, given up so many opportunities just to fall at the starting line.

I listened to my fellow classmates react to the news with equal surprise as shocked gasps filled the air. It seemed that none of us were prepared to fight for our spots here only after the first day.

Before I could wind myself up into a full-blown freak out, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, just focusing on calming down for the moment as my heart continued to pound. _It's okay. It'll be fine. You'll find the path to make it fine._ I took the opportunity to do some much needed recon. Stretching out with my mind, I searched through the expanse of space that existed.

Images flashed through my mind, connected by strings. It was like I was at the base of a tree and there were multiple branches stretching out into the space in front of me and further branches spread from them. Some came back to join again, which I always found interesting.

In a lot of paths, some futures were inevitable.

I felt like I was watching a movie in extreme fast forward as I scanned through the futures. Every now and then, it was like it jumped to a different scene in the movie as I skipped to a different future. After searching through the surprisingly few options available, I was surprised and pleased to learn that none of them ended in me being expelled.

I couldn't help my sigh of relief at that and the tension in my shoulders disappeared. My hero journey wasn't over yet if I had anything to say about it.

I felt eyes on me and turned my head to the left, meeting the gaze of Shoto, watching me from the corner of his eye. I wasn't surprised he was gauging my reaction. He knew my Quirk. He also knew that it had no benefit to physical tests, leaving me at a significant disadvantage for this apprehension test.

I smiled brightly at him to show I wasn't concerned and he huffed out a breath, turning his attention forward again. He almost looked disappointed that I was going to be fine. My smile turned to a scowl and I glared at him. Hoping he could feel the heat of it. Physically impossible but I could hope.

Deciding to just ignore the boy to my left, I turned back to the front, returning my attention to the teacher as the rest of the class continued to react to the news. Eventually though, everyone seemed to accept that this was happening and I watched as my classmates all of a sudden seemed to light up with determination to prove they were worthy.

 _And so, the journey begins._

* * *

I think it was fair to say that my ego had seen better days as we progressed through the assessment tests, however, I no longer felt the stress of impending expulsion.

My mediocre score in the 50-meter dash was unsurprising, but I was glad to see there were a few people whose Quirks were also not useful in different events. I was happy enough with my 6.56 seconds, which was an improvement from middle school, but that was likely due to the continued training over the past few months.

It was quite interesting actually, to see where my physical abilities matched up with the rest of the class. Shoto, Bakugo and another boy with navy blue hair and engines sticking out of his legs were easily some of the most physically impressive classmates.

I couldn't help but feel a little jealous as I watched Shoto's impressive score on the grip strength. Even without the use of his Quirk to help in any way he still beat my score easily. I knew it was to be expected. Before Quirks became a thing, males were naturally stronger than females. However, that didn't change my determination to train harder and beat him.

Another impressive classmate was a girl with black hair whose name was apparently Yaoyorozu. I watched her create anything and everything with her Quirk to help her with the tests. It was impressive, to say the least, and I began to wonder the specifics of her Quirk, analysing it for future reference. What were the limitations of what she could make? If she over-used it, what happened? I'd have to see.

"Hey, this whole 'expulsion' thing is a bit stressful, right?"

I turned my head at the new voice to look at my classmate. It was one of the boys I'd noticed earlier, the one with yellow hair and the black lightning bolt. He was interesting to look at, to say the least.

"Oh, I'm Kaminari Denki." He continued, a huge grin on his face that made me want to return the gesture.

"Himori Mirai." I replied with a smile. I hadn't had the opportunity to introduce myself to many of my classmates yet. The pressure of failing was keeping people to themselves, however, some people were slowly beginning to extend proverbial hands of friendship. I noticed that the boy – Kaminari – had been one of them with his friendly attitude.

"I haven't seen you use your Quirk yet today, are you sure right now is a good time to hold back?"

"I have used it. And I know I'll be fine." I gave him another smile and he just watched me in confusion. This was probably the part where I was supposed to tell him what it was.

I'd noted his electricity earlier, although I felt bad for him in that his Quirk was also not so useful for these kind of tests. But given his natural physical ability I was sure he'd be fine.

I was less sure about the little guy with purple balls on his head that I'd seen. Although, considering I'd watched the guy stare at every girl in our class and drool at them, I wasn't going to be too devastated if he didn't make it. I tuned back into my current conversation and decided to just get it over with. "I can see the future."

"Wow! So you're saying you could tell me my future right now? Am I the number one pro hero? Do I get married? Is she hot?" He asked excitedly.

"It doesn't work like that." I grimaced as I responded.

It probably would have been a lot easier if that was how it worked. Maybe if I wasn't so determined to be a pro-hero I could have gotten a license to be a psychic and made millions. But no, life doesn't work that way.

"I can only see things in the close future. Aside from special circumstances, when I look into the future the furthest I've ever seen is a week, which is pushing it. It's also usually insignificant things, like dinner plans and such."

"Oh well that's a bit disappointing isn't it." He looked down with a frown on his face and I stared at him.

 _Yeah, way to make a girl feel good, Kaminari_. Apparently being friendly didn't necessarily give you the gift of appropriate comments. He still seemed nice though, I thought as I watched him. Before I could ponder whether to inform him of my less fun premonitions, which I could sometimes see years in advance, he turned to me with a 3000 watt grin.

"But that's still an awesome quirk! You're going to make an awesome hero! I can't wait to fight with you! See which one of us wins."

Kaminari held up his hand and balled it into a fist. I watched as electricity encircled his hand for a moment before it stopped and he put his hand back down.

I smiled at him. Yeah, he wasn't too bad actually. I hoped this was the first step to me making friends through my high school experience. Although I'd never been a loner, developing good relationships with my peers had never been my strong suit. But if these people were eventually – hopefully – going to be working alongside me as heroes, it was probably a good idea to try.

Aizawa called my name out and I glanced over to see him staring in my direction from the standing long jump area. I knew keeping him waiting was not in my best interest. "Thanks Kaminari, maybe you'll know sooner than you think." I winked at him before walking away. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't totally sure that we would verse each other soon, but I was getting a feeling that it would happen.

* * *

The rest of the events seemed to pass very quickly and before I knew it, we were done.

Aizawa had us crowded around as he fiddled with a device in his hand for a moment and I could almost feel how stressed everyone around me was. I tried to ignore it though as Aizawa finally turned his attention to us.

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results. The total is simply the marks you got from each test. It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."

He clicked a button, announcing the results and I watched them with interest. My eyes zoned in on Shoto's name in second place and I found that I wasn't surprised in the slightest. I quickly scanned the rest of the list, searching for myself before I found it.

14th. Huh.

I wasn't that surprised by the position. Since my Quirk wasn't physical in any way I had spent a lot of time training physically in order to make up for it. It was nice to note my hard work had paid off at least slightly, however, 14th wasn't exactly cream of the crop. I made it a goal to be in the top half of the class by the end of the semester if we did this assessment again, despite people having Quirk advantages over me.

"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion." Aizawa drawled and I froze yet again along with the rest of the class. "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."

The class reacted in shock and I stood there for a moment, surprise clear as day on my face.

"Of course that was a lie. It should have been obvious if you just thought it through." One of my classmates – Yaoyorozu – spoke up.

I agreed with her. Something like this should have been obvious. But I'd still been surprised. I could have sworn some of the visions I'd seen… but it didn't matter. I felt a smile spread over my face as I watched the rest of the class.

The boy who had come last, Midoriya, I thought his name was, looked like he was going to burst into tears of relief. My mind shifted tangents and I watched him for a moment, perplexed. I hadn't seen him use his Quirk once during the tests, except for the ball throw, which had been interesting to watch.

Watching him after Aizawa had spoken to him, I had felt the tug in my brain, my Quirk trying to pull me in but I resisted. I hated when that happened. Significant moments had the potential to take over and ruin my control over my Quirk. The more significant the moment, the more potential futures, the harder the pull and the more it hurt my head.

I tended to avoid allowing it to happen, but that didn't mean that occasionally I lost the battle of the wills and just had to ride the visions out.

When Midoriya had stepped up to the circle for the second time, the pull had been there, but not enough that I couldn't control it. So, I was interested to see what would happen in future with that. His Quirk had been extremely physically powerful when he used it, but the damage he'd done to his finger was not what I expected. I was curious to know more about it, and something told me I'd find out eventually whether I wanted to or not.

"With that we're done here. There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom, so when you get back, look over them."

I snorted. It was clear as day that Aizawa cared little for the formalities of this. The first day and we had definitely just been assigned homework. Yeah, U.A. was going to be interesting.

* * *

 **I've rewritten a few parts of this chapter to fix up some errors, however, there are a couple of minor poor writing decisions, so please keep that in mind and don't hate me because I promise it gets better! The story is still _easily_ readable and I am working on fixing it though, however, I just haven't reached it yet.  
**

 **Thank you for understanding!**


	2. Mirai Himori: Origin

**Alright fellas, we're here with chapter 2. My plan is to get out a few chapters in quick succession so people actually have something to read before I slow down a bit. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Also, this is also posted on AO3 under the same name if you prefer it.**

* * *

 **Foresight: The Knowing Hero**

 **Chapter Two: Mirai Himori: Origin**

* * *

 _I was a month shy of four years old when my quirk first appeared._

 _I don't remember it all that well. It was a long time ago. But my parents told me it had been a normal night at home, when just as we were about to sit down for dinner my eyes, normally a clear light blue, had turned bright white and I had flinched._

 _Moments later my mother's glass had fallen off the table, shattering loudly on the floor, glass shards everywhere._

 _The next day, my parents had taken me to a doctor, who specialised in children with emerging Quirks. Nobody was surprised when he informed us I'd developed a Foresight Quirk, or that it was stronger than my mothers._

 _"Well would you look at that, Mirai!" My father had cheered after the appointment, a huge grin on his face. He bent down to my height and ruffled my hair as he smiled at me and I grinned back at him. "You've got a bright future ahead of you, my girl." He laughed again as his bright blue eyes - my eyes - gleamed in amusement. "I bet your mother knew this would happen when she gave you that name. She's always been one step ahead of me."_

Mirai. The future _. I had no doubt looking back that my mother had used her quirk to help decide my name. Her secretive smile as she stood behind my father carried that conclusion. It had made me so excited that my mother had believed so strongly in my bright future._

 _My father didn't have a quirk - one of the few - however, it wasn't as rare for his generation as it was for mine. And while my mother's quirk was similar to mine, likely where I had inherited it, it was still different._

 _She never saw the future, however she got feelings off of people, and where the paths they were on lead. She'd occasionally point to someone while we would walk down the street and say to me, "you see that boy there? He's going to be very successful when he grows up. Just like you."_

 _Occasionally though, my mother would look at a person and a sad expression would cross her face. Sometimes it would be a homeless person, hunched in an alleyway preparing for the cold winter months approaching. Sometimes it would be a random stranger walking down the street, phone in hand. I asked her about it as I grew older and she would just sigh and place her hand on the side of my cheek._

 _"Sometimes you can't save people darling. We've been given a gift, but we are not infinite."_

 _I learned that for myself the hard way._

 _I had a nightmare when I was 8 of my father. He was dead on the side of the road, scraps of metal and debris surrounded him and the shrill wail of sirens was in the air. I woke up screaming, my head pounding, and my mother's arms around me._

 _When I told my parents what had happened the atmosphere in the house had been tense for a week. It was eventually broken by my mother declaring it as nothing but a child's nightmare._

 _"Children have nightmares, Kenshin. It's fine. I haven't felt anything so I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about."_

 _Two years later my father died in a car accident. It was sudden, out of the blue, my mother hadn't felt a thing. But I knew, we both did. I knew that it was what I saw two years ago._

 _It was this event that made me decide I was going to be a hero. I was going to save people, stop these tragedies from happening. Each time something happened, each time I'd dream of an accident, only to walk past it on my way home from school later that day, my determination increased. I couldn't save these people, but one day, I was going to learn how to, and I was going to be a hero._

 _So I trained._

 _I knew that my physical abilities would be my weak point. And if I was going to make it as a hero I would need to hold my own on the battlefield. I went running, I joined a dojo, I broke bones pushing my body through agility training, running through parks, utilising children's playgrounds as my training grounds._

 _I was quite small for my age and I knew that that wasn't going to change much as I grew. From the research I'd done into the matter, generally heroes with mental quirks and small statures focused more on using their opponent's strength against them - they were quick and agile. It was something I would need to learn._

 _My mother supported me through it all. I would come back to the house exhausted, sore, sometimes on the verge of giving up and Hikari Himori would just look at me and smile._

 _"Every day your future gets brighter, Mirai. You're going to be a fine hero, I know it."_

 _And life would feel better._

* * *

Of course, after I returned from changing back into my uniform, I found that the only seat available for me was directly next to Shoto at the back of the classroom.

 _Figures._

Shoto watched me with a blank expression as I made my way to my desk, before his eyes flitted away to stare at nothing at the front of the classroom. In the desk on the other side of me was the girl who I've noticed a few times now. Uraraka, I believed her name was. She smiled up at my brightly as I settled into my desk and began pulling out a notepad.

"Hi! You're Himori Mirai, right? Wow, I love your hair it's so long! I wish mine would grow that long but it never works well. I'm Uraraka Ochaco! But call me Ochaco! I didn't see you using your Quirk during the tests but you still placed okay, is it a subtle Quirk?"

A genuine smile appeared on my lips as I stared at her. _She's very energetic_ , I thought. My earlier assumption that she was something too precious for this world continued to grow. But I also saw her use her Quirk during the apprehension tests. I thought she'd be a strong hero one day.

"Yeah, you can call me Mirai," I replied easily. "Thank you, I keep it long because it comes in use sometimes, but trust me it's not easy." I grinned at her. "My Quirk is foresight, so it wasn't really any use this morning."

"Ehh?" Uraraka responded. I could tell she was surprised by my Quirk and I supposed it made sense. Not many people had Quirks like mine, and the use of them in terms of heroics was a strange combination of extremely useful and useless.

Before I could respond the boy in front of her, Iida, I believed his name was, spoke. "Uraraka, Himori! While it is honourable to make friends with your fellow classmates, class has begun and your conversation should wait until the appropriate time and location!"

Ochaco and I watched his hand movements, perplexed, and Ochaco blushed as she apologised for being rude. I felt a small pink tinge form on my cheeks but I simply smiled and turned back to the front, _I suppose it was time for me to pay attention._

* * *

When lunch finally arrived, I found myself being waved down from a table holding Kaminari and two other students I recognised from my class. Kirishima and Sero were their names, I was pretty sure. I placed my tray down and sat as Kaminari immediately started speaking.

"Himori, can you believe this morning? Wow that was stressful, first day of U.A. and I thought I was gone! I can't believe you beat me though, no fair! Although I suppose you knew all along no one was going to be expelled right?"

I smiled. "You could say that," I replied simply as I dug into my noodles.

I actually hadn't known that nobody would be expelled, but I didn't want to admit the weaknesses of my Quirk half way into my first day here. I was sure I'd eventually become friends with my classmates, but there was that small part of my brain telling me to hold back. Whether it was shyness or wanting to have the advantage over my peers, I wasn't sure.

All the physical exertion this morning meant I was ravenous and I found I wasn't the only one, watching Kirishima tear into his pork. "Call me Mirai, guys." I mentioned and watched as the two other boys looked up and gave me wide grins. _Wow, this class is filled with a lot of happy people._

"You were so fast with the long distance run today! Coming in fourth without using your quirk! So cool! So manly!" The red-head - Kirishima - enthused and I laughed.

"I had to do a lot of training to get where I am so it wasn't without effort."

"Ahh I know right! Wow I'm so glad my parents convinced me to play all those sports through school. It really came in handy today!" I turned at the new voice to be met with pink and a bright smile. More happy classmates. I think her name was Ashido and I remembered her doing well this morning. She plopped down easily into the seat beside me before digging in to her food. "So, what else do you think we'll be doing this week? Do you think we'll get to see our hero costumes?"

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to pass very quickly as we covered more of the boring aspects of our first day at a new school.

I sighed as I made my way out of the building that afternoon and across the courtyard to U.A.'s gates. Checking my phone as I walked I noticed a reminder pop up before I opened it and blanched.

 _Shit._

In all the craziness of today, I totally forgot what day it was.

' _Afternoon with Shoto_ ' was blinking at me from my phone and I pursed my lips as I stared at it for a moment. We had organised that once a week we would go to the park and spend time together. I was surprised I had managed to completely forget that that was today.

I glanced up from my phone and surveyed my surroundings. We weren't scheduled to meet for another half hour, since we had assumed that we would both have to travel from separate high schools. But since we now attended the same one - in fact we were desk buddies - it perhaps would be easier if we just met here.

Sure enough I found Shoto leaning against the wall at the entrance gate, staring blankly off in to the distance. I approached him slowly and hearing my footsteps his gaze slid to me.

"Hey," I smiled at him and he responded with a nod as he shrugged off the wall and stepped forward towards me. He brushed past me and, growing used to his silent communication, I took this as a sign for me to fall into step beside him. My hands clutching my bag as I watched our feet move across the concrete.

The park we usually met at was a 10 minute walk from here so it wouldn't take long to get there. The station that people used to get to UA was just around the corner, which is why we had agreed to this park, since it was in such close proximity to easy transport. I vaguely wondered if this was now increasing how long we spent with each other in the afternoon, or if Shoto would use the opportunity to leave early. I'd just have to wait and find out.

Eventually, I broke the silence. "So, bet you didn't see us being classmates coming when you woke up this morning, hey?"

"I bet you did."

I felt a blush bloom on my cheeks as I focused on my feet rather than looking at him. It probably did seem ridiculous that I had been surprised this morning, and I understood his assumption that I had known the whole time. "Actually, no I didn't," was all I said in return, my voice quiet.

I could feel his eyes on the side of my face, watching me and obviously not believing what I was saying. I sighed.

"I blocked off visions of you a couple months ago," I mumbled and the blush on my cheeks returned full force.

It wasn't something I could do very easily, but it came in handy, the ability to put up a mental wall against particular visions. After a particularly frustrating meeting and Shoto pissing me off, I had decided that I didn't want to be able to scan through our future. It was so open with so many options that I found it really frustrating, before deciding to just cut it off. Let whatever happen, happen.

Of course that had landed us in the current predicament of unexpected classmates. But oh well, I figured I could have much worse surprises.

Shoto's eyebrows raised after my response and I thought he almost looked amused for a second. "Huh," was all he responded though before turning his gaze forward again.

"You're one to talk though, you seriously didn't consider that I might have applied for U.A.? I told you I wanted to be a hero. But then again I'm guessing you weren't listening."

I'd told Shoto a lot of things actually, now that I thought about it. During most of our meetings he was silent and I'd occasionally fill that silence with random thoughts, observations and comments. He generally ignored it.

"You've wanted to be a hero since you were ten, and your favourite colour is purple. I heard, I just don't care."

 _Ouch._

It probably shouldn't have surprised me that he did pay attention to what I said. Shoto probably had a file in his head compiled of facts about me. Facts that I generally just blurted out when I wanted to. I was secretly thankful that I hadn't gotten around to telling him why I made the decision to become a hero, along with other things I had kept secret. I wasn't ready for those things to be out in the open with him.

"Rude," was all I said in response though, huffing at his indifference. Same Shoto, different day. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face though before he also huffed in turn. We had arrived at the park and he made his way over to his usual tree trunk and sat down against it. It took all of ten seconds for his eyes to close. He was lazily slumped against the tree, one arm resting on his raised knee another on top of his bag. I knew our conversation was finished.

This was how most meetings were spent. Shoto would sit down against the tree and close his eyes, tuning out of the world. Or at least, I thought he tuned out, apparently he listened to the things I had said to him in past. I generally didn't know if he napped, or meditated, or just became consumed in his own thoughts.

I tended to change what I did week by week. Sometimes I would bring a book, sometimes I would sketch, or more often than not, if I had to study I would. Occasionally I would work out, since our meetings usually meant I wouldn't have another opportunity to that day.

Today I was worn out from the long day and decided the idea of a nap was superb. I lay down on the grass near his legs and placed my bag under my head, staring up at the canopy above me as I watched the light filter through. These kind of views were my favourite. Just the outline of the tree, shielding my face from the bright sunlight. Simple, natural, beautiful.

"How long until the class finds out you think?" I commented as I started up at the sky, thoughts slowly swirling through my head as I considered it. Only silence greeted me while I waited for an answer. Eventually, I decided that he probably wasn't going to respond before sighing and closing my eyes. Before I could decide if I should set an alarm before I took this nap though, he spoke.

"If it were up to me, never. However, from what I know of you that doesn't seem likely."

I snorted, an amused smile coming to my face as I thought of that. Yeah, he was probably right. I didn't have the best impulse control, and it was such a good opportunity to gauge my classmates based on their reaction. "You're probably right," was all I said in response though, falling into silence as my arm came up to shield my eyes.

And that was how we spent the next two hours.

* * *

 **This chapter felt a bit better than the first one which I'm glad, but it's difficult to get in the rhythm of writing new stories. Anyway, please feel free to leave a review!**

 **Next up: Battle Simulation!**


	3. Entrance Exam ft Hero Costumes

**I was supposed to reach Mirai's battle simulation in this but then I got caught up with the entrance exam and then other things so I've split it into two sorry. But hopefully you still enjoy Mirai's first taste of action!**

* * *

 **Foresight: The Knowing Hero**

 **Chapter Three: Entrance Exam ft. Hero Costumes**

* * *

 _The day of the entrance exam, I woke up exhausted and sleep deprived._

 _I had stayed up late the night before, cramming for the theory part of the exam and when I'd finally gone to bed, I'd had nothing but premonitions of the next day._

 _When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I had to immediately drop to the floor and start doing sit ups to both ease my nerves and wake myself up. This was it, make or break._

 _Breakfast was simply toast, I didn't have the stomach for anything else and besides, I didn't really keep much food in the house since it was just me. Even though I knew by leaving now, I'd arrive in plenty of time for the exam I still left, unable to handle just sitting around waiting for it._

 _When I arrived though, I found that I was not the only one there already. In fact the front of U.A. was filled with people in their middle school uniforms, shifting around with their nerves._

 _Deciding the easiest way to pass the anxious wait was to just stand still and zone it all out, I closed my eyes and just focused on my breathing, focused on one breath after another until we were called in to a huge hall with hundreds of people in it._

 _This was the worst part. The waiting, the speeches. I already knew the concept of the exam and I felt like I could explode with how much nervous energy I had. Robots were good in that they were easy to predict and they didn't change their minds. However, they were pretty powerful. I wasn't sure how strong I would be against them. I couldn't focus on that now though, I had a theory exam to get through._

 _Before I knew it though, the theory exam was over and I was wiped. I hated math. I hated history more. Don't even get me started on geography. But I knew I'd done the best I could, and although I wished I could use my sight to see myself googling the answers to the questions later that night, that wasn't how it worked. I'd tried in 6_ _th_ _grade._

 _Time seemed to fast forward as we waited for the next segment of the entrance exam to begin and suddenly I was lining up for the practical exam along with hundreds of other competitors. As I was doing some static stretches in the crowd outside the entrance gate, I caught the eye of a boy with blonde hair doing the same and he sneered at me._ Yeesh. Glad we're not versing other competitors.

 _Some people gave me curious glances as I warmed up my sight, trying to find the most effective plan once the exam started. People always gave a second look when they noticed my eyes shining bright white, but considering there were people with heteromorphic Quirks, the attention didn't last long._

 _Warming up my Quirk gave me the advantage and I started running half a second before Present Mic's voice came over the speakers._

 _"Okay, start! What's wrong? There are no countdowns in real fights!"_

 _I could hear the sound of people scrambling behind me as everyone immediately leapt into action. Some immediately overtook me, obviously they had Quirks that helped their speed, and others lagged behind. I heard explosions start up behind me but ignored it._

 _I had bigger problems now._

 _The first robot I came across was a one pointer in an alleyway. It turned its gun towards me but before it could do anything I leapt up into the air and planted my feet on its chest, kicking with all my force. It fell backwards, it's head smashing against the wall behind it. Sparks flew out of its neck as it shuddered to a stop and didn't move again._ One point down, only a lot more to go _, I thought grimly._

 _This technique wouldn't work with the higher points, I could barely get enough force to knock out the one pointer, I would need to think of something else for others._

 _I could feel a two pointer and a three pointer closing in and an idea, or a future I supposed you could say, sprang to mind. I ran around the corner charging straight at them. They both locked on to me and the three pointer fired first. I dodged, feeling the heat of the shot hit the concrete at my feet._ That was close, they're too fast _, I thought. Before I could regret my decision I ran for the three pointer and jumped behind it. Just as I expected, the two pointer shot, blowing the three pointer to pieces._

 _Grabbing a shard of metal from the ground, I ran for the two pointer, weaving as I ran so it couldn't lock on to me. I jumped, wrapping my arms around its neck before shoving the shard into a gap in the machinery. It hit circuits and the robot dropped like a puppet with its strings cut._

 _Another one pointer rounded the corner and I ran for it. Planting one foot on its chest and another on its head, I kicked as hard as I could and the head popped off. But I felt the strain on my leg. Seven points._ Damn it. I wasn't strong enough for this _. Frustration burned inside me._

 _If only we were allowed weapons in the entrance exam._

 _Four minutes later and I was up to fifteen points but I knew that was nowhere near enough._

Shit. This isn't working _._

 _I could take down the robots but with no physical quirk it took too long and strained my body, there was no way I could gather enough points to pass. I couldn't think, my mind was racing._

 _I saw it in my head before it happened._

Someone's Quirk destabilising a building wall. A boy stood underneath it, panting with exertion. He didn't realise that the wall behind him was about to collapse on him.

 _Making a snap decision, I turned around and sprinted out of the alleyway. I rounded the corner just in time to grab the boys arm and yank him out of the way before the wall collapsed. Rubble hit the ground and dust clouded up where the boy had stood just moments before. The boy collapsed next to me, staring at the wall in shock.  
_

 _"Oh wow, thank you! I hit my Quirk limit and that would have really done some damage if it hit me. Thank you, you saved me!"_

 _"No problem," I replied vacantly as the puzzle pieces connected in my head, a vision pressing in on me. I could see a panel of results._

Rescue Points.

Of course _. I grinned._

 _I was going to be fine. This was what I was good at._

* * *

 _"It seems Examinee 1042 has caught on to the second part of the test."_

 _"Yes, she doesn't seem to be focusing on Villains anymore, just helping other contestants."_

 _"Perhaps she just reached her Quirk limit already? Or is she naïve enough to think her villain points are enough to get her in?"_

 _"According to the paperwork her Quirk is foresight. Perhaps she realised that there was an easier way to gain entry than only villain points."_

 _"An impressive Quirk and one that would be very useful for a hero. I'm surprised though at the amount of Villain points she managed since her Quirk would be irrelevant."_

 _"She probably realised that in order to keep up with her peers she would have to train a lot harder so as to not let her physical abilities hinder her. It's a rational assumption."_

 _"Yes, indeed. Very well, shall we activate the zero point villain?"_

 _"Yeaaahhhhhhhh!"_

 _"Hizashi, shut up."_

* * *

 _Villain Points: 17 Rescue Points: 34  
_

 _12_ _th_ _Place in the Practical Examination_

Not bad _, I thought, my smile growing as I realised I had made it. I was going to U.A. High School._ Not bad _._

* * *

It was the second day of school and I could already feel a routine developing.

I came back into the classroom after lunch with Mina dragging me by the arm as Kirishima and Sero cackled to each other behind me on Kaminari's behalf. Poor Denki had been extremely unsuccessful in his attempt to ask a girl from general studies out. I cringed on his behalf. It wasn't like she was out of his league, but apparently Kaminari had yet to realise that there was a time and place for certain things.

Kaminari slumped into his seat in defeat as Kirishima and Sero continued to laugh like a pair of hyenas. I sighed, passing Kaminari on the way to my seat and giving him a consolatory pat on the back. Hopefully next time he would be more successful. I'd barely made it back to my seat and sat down when the door burst open.

"I am… coming through the door like a normal person!"

My eyes flew upwards and I watched as All Might came into the room, dressed in a red hero costume. Wow! I'd never actually met the hero, but he was the number one hero for a reason and actually seeing him in person was shocking. He was huge. Even larger than Endeavor who had scared me when I met him. The rest of the class was reacting with equal enthusiasm as he walked up to the podium.

"I teach hero basic training. It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject. Let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today… Combat training!"

I couldn't stop the grin that formed on my face even if I wanted to. I had dreamed of today, but I hadn't know how soon it was coming up. It seemed that now was my opportunity to finally show my Quirk and its potential in the field.

My smile only grew as panels opened in the wall on the side of the classroom, showing cases which I knew held our costumes.

 _Finally_.

I had been waiting anxiously for the costumes and my excitement was plainly visible to my classmates around me. Shoto raised his eyebrow at me to my left and I could see Ochaco bouncing in her seat and grinning next to me.

"Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started. After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"

With that, All Might shot from the room like he'd never been there in the first place and I huffed a laugh before standing up. I went to collect my costume but stopped when I realised majority of the class had rushed to the panels and were crowding around it, anxiously trying to reach their costumes. Deciding it wouldn't make much difference, I decided to just wait, leaning against my desk in the process.

"You ordered the visor, didn't you?" Shoto enquired from his desk.

I turned and saw him watching me. He hadn't moved an inch from his seat in the rush, probably coming to the same conclusion that I did that there were too many people. I smiled again and sent him a knowing look. "So you do pay attention to what I say."

Yesterday had apparently not been a fluke. It had been on one of our afternoons at the park that I had been filling out my hero costume request. I remembered talking to myself and occasionally posing questions to the universe and him. Both ignored.

The visor for my uniform were in fact the main cause of my excitement. Sure I was looking forward to seeing how the rest of it looked but it was the focal point.

Shoto merely nodded at me before he moved forward to get his own costume as the hoard of classmates disappeared and I followed him, seizing the briefcase with the large '10' on it. I quickly made my way to the locker rooms to get changed.

* * *

I had to admit, they'd done a really good job with the suit.

I thought I looked awesome, childlike glee bubbled in my chest and I tried to push it down. My costume was a sky blue, lighter than my hair colour so it contrasted nicely. It covered me from wrists to ankles with a black utility belt and black boots. The utility belt was empty except for a custom made black baton. At first it looked like a police baton before you took it out and it extended into a bō. I grinned down at it and Yaoyorozu noticed my excitement.

"Is that a staff? I use one as well."

"Oh really? Cool! I'm assuming you don't need to carry one since you can just make one any time. Wow," I sighed, "I wish I could do that."

Yaoyorozu's Quirk was incredible. We hadn't really had much of an opportunity to speak over the last two days but I really admired her. Especially the amount of study she must have had to put in to be as efficient at creating things as she was. I knew she was the other student in the class to get in from recommendations aside from Shoto and it really showed.

"Yes, it's quite handy. It's a shame though that I had to design my costume like this though." She responded and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she rubbed her neck while looking down at herself. Her costume was very open, and I couldn't help but stare at her breasts for a moment before my gaze escaped sideways. _Yeah, that was a lot of skin and a lot of boobs._ But I knew it was necessary for her Quirk as did she.

"Well, look on the bright side, at least you're wearing more than Hagakure is right now." I quipped in an effort to cheer her up. I watched as Hagakure turned around from where she was at her locker and jumped in agreement with me. I smiled, mainly hoping that I was looking in the area where her face was rather than her chest. It was quite difficult to gage since all she wore was a pair of gloves and boots.

"Yeah! I feel so exposed like this! But if I want to beat people I'm going to have to be stealthy! I just hope nobody stares at me." Her hands were moving around wildly as she spoke but I had no idea what the expression on her face was. The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.

"Mineta is going to have a field day with our costumes. Ribbit." Asui spoke as she made her way over to our group as well. Everyone groaned at that.

"Perv," I heard Jiro mutter under her breath and I agreed completely. Every time I'd seen the little runt he'd been either drooling at a girl or discussing how to find a way to touch Yaoyorozu's breasts. I didn't want to see his reaction to us in our hero costumes.

Everybody except for Jiro had form fitting designs and I almost regretted not designing mine like hers. She looked cool, plain and simple. But mine needed to be skin tight. My battle style was close combat, I could hardly do that effectively if there was loose material for people to grab. Since Jiro's fighting style was presumably not close combat it suited her just fine.

"Mirai, what is this for?" I turned and Ochaco was holding out my visor to me with a puzzled expression on her face. I smiled, _ah yes, the best part of the costume_. It was a simple square black visor that covered my eyes with a thick black strap on the back. A line running horizontally through the middle of the visor glowed blue and I smiled. Just like I asked for, as long as the key parts worked.

"It's my visor. I'll be using it when I fight," I reached out for it and placed it on my head. The visibility was clear and I saw that they had installed some basic programs along with the main reason for it. I watched as the screen lit up and told me the distances from myself to the other girls, analysing their speeds.

There were a few other neat side options down the side that I would have to look at but right now I was excited about the red button on the outside just above my right ear. I pressed down on it.

And my head felt quiet.

 _Wow_ , I thought, feeling extremely unsettled from the sensation. It was weird. I didn't have a single vision niggling in the corner of my brain, trying to force its way to be shown. My brain was silent, my Quirk was muted.

I was torn between awed relief and feeling deeply unsettled.

"What do the buttons do?" Mina probed as she watched me.

"One of them blacks out the front so I can't see anything." I explained plainly, still adjusting to the strange new sensation of my Quirk being out of reach. By their surprised expressions I was guessing they hadn't expected that. "It helps me fight sometimes. I can just be absorbed by the visions and don't have to worry about extra stimuli to interpret. Once I got used to it, it's actually quite easy."

"And the other?"

"Basically the opposite, it nullifies my Quirk."

"Huh?!" Was the response as they all stared at me in surprise.

"Just like seeing the present can be distracting, seeing the future is also risky. There are times where I need to stay focused on what's happening now. Especially in tense situations. The more intense a situation, the more possible futures it holds, and of course, with all those pressing on my head it gets hard to focus. Sometimes I get swept up in the visions, and that can be dangerous." I admitted, surprised that I was telling them one of my weaknesses. Indeed I was really glad that the visor had arrived. I couldn't wait to try it out.

"Wow!"

"Impressive."

"Ribbit."

"That's so cool, Mirai!"

"Ah, I see, so the visor sends out a wavelength that counteracts the part of your brain involved with your quirk, that's really interesting."

"Yeah," I couldn't help the blush that covered my face at their responses. I was glad they thought it was cool. There'd been a reason I had excitedly blabbed about it to Shoto, perhaps that's why he also remembered it. Now it was time to see how well everything worked.

"Alright let's go girls!"

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **kirika o7 - Yeah, I kind of figured I'd get as much out as I can to give people a feel for the fic and also before I get too busy to post. Don't get your hopes up unfortunately I'll definitely slow down posting soon. Yeah I didn't want to force her into the Uraraka-Midoriya-Iida friend group yet because they've kind of got their own development that's already been covered so I wanted to see how she'd go with the friendliest guys in class. Plus I just picture this sibling dynamic when she's the older sister when they do something stupid but they're overprotective of her as well so we'll just have to see how it pans out. IDK how Shoto will feel about it yet, they're not at the stage where that's a priority but it's an interesting path to look at. Yes I'm pretty happy with how the park turned out. But we'll just have to see what happens. Thank you!**

 **And NOW we can go for the battle simulation.**


	4. Battle Simulation

**It's like 5am so yeah, I should probably go to bed. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

 **Foresight: The Knowing Hero**

 **Chapter 4: Battle Simulation**

* * *

Once we'd made our way to where the rest of the class waited, I looked around at all the costumes surrounding us.

 _Wow, some people went all out._

Iida was dressed like a knight and I watched, amused, as Aoyama twirled in a circle, admiring his own cape. Kirishima and Mina were standing to one side talking excitedly about their costumes and I was about to join them when I felt a chill next to me and a throat cleared. I turned to Shoto, surprised that he was initiating conversation with me, but was further surprised to find he wasn't looking at me at all, but staring at something directly behind me. I turned around completely to see what he was looking at.

Mineta.

"Thank god for squats," Mineta whispered, staring at me. Or more specifically, my ass.

I blanched.

The cold emanating from Shoto increased slightly and I was fueled with righteous anger. Part of me wished that I could use my visor to burn a laser through Mineta like the heroes in the old comic books but I supposed I'd have to settle with answering the question I'd posed yesterday of how far I could kick him.

Before I could do anything though, tape wrapped around Mineta from behind and dragged him across the pavement, away from any of the girls in the class.

"Mineta, you're such a scumbag." Sero spoke, looking down at him. He had his helmet on but I could hear the scowl in his voice as he turned and walked off. Slightly disappointed I couldn't kick him, I turned my attention back to Shoto.

His costume was interesting. It was fairly basic except for the face that ice covered his left half entirely. Shielding his fire side. I was surprised, wondering about the motivation behind it. I knew from what I'd seen that he wasn't particularly fond of his father, but I was surprised he'd hide that side away from the world. Come to the think of it, although I'd only rarely seen his powers, I'd never seen him use his fire side.

"Thanks."

Shoto merely nodded at me before he walked off again.

Interesting.

"That's great everyone, you all look cool! Now, shall we begin zygotes?"

All Might began speaking and I zoned out, already aware of the exercise today. I'd seen small parts of it in a dream last night and was ready to see what happened. The only thing that was likely to remain certain from what I'd seen in the visions was Kirishima and I were a team that was versing Denki and Jiro. I winced as I remembered one of my dreams last night including Denki electrocuting me. I was sure determined to avoid that today.

Sure enough, when the teams were announced Kirishima and I were together. He grinned at me from across the group and held up his hardened fist and I couldn't help smiling back at him. This should be fun.

* * *

Watching the other fights play out before ours both relaxed my nerves and left butterflies in my stomach. This was it. Our first hero training.

The two fights that had happened so far were leagues separate from each other. The first fight with Bakugo and Iida versing Midoriya and Ochaco was not what I expected for the first day. I'd seen Bakugo in the entrance exam, but this was something else. It was like his one goal in life was to beat the living shit out of Midoriya and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Someone mentioned that they went to middle school together, but it was still surprising that he would be that fueled with rage. It explained how Midoriya had been able to predict Bakugo's moves though.

Everyone had been teeming with excitement for our first real hero training but as the match progressed it grew kind of daunting. When it finally completed and the aftermath was shown the entire class was shocked.

"What the heck? The losers are practically uninjured… and the winners are on the ground…" Kaminari whispered in shock.

"They lost the battle, but won the war, huh?" Another boy said, I think his name was Tokoyami.

"This is training though," was Asui's response.

"I suppose it's like Aizawa said, we only have three years here. There's no time like the present to learn the hard truths of being a hero." Some people turned to look at me as I spoke but the rest were still gaping at the screen in front of us. I was surprised myself, that I had spoken up. "But I really don't think that the rest of the matches will be this violent."

"I agree." Shoto spoke from my left, surprising me yet again.

His input into the conversation made sense later when he and Shoji were up against Hagakure and Ojiro. I watched as the entire building was encased in ice and Shoto made his way inside. Within a minute the match was decided and I couldn't decide between admiration at his powerful Quirk and frustration at the gap I felt between our abilities. For a moment I wondered why his father had made the arrangement with me. It would have made sense for him to choose a different person. Someone with a stronger quirk and more to offer.

My eyes drifted to Yaoyorozu before they fell away again. She had impressed the class with her discussion on battle tactics earlier and her summary. I swear I heard Kirishima mutter "so manly", when she finished her assessment on the first match. I also knew her family was rich. But I didn't allow myself to consider it for too long.

It didn't matter, and there was no reason I should feel effected anyway, it wasn't that type of arrangement. Also, my quirk was powerful in its own way. Which I was determined to prove today.

Speaking of, we were up.

* * *

Kirishima and I would be playing villains for our match so we entered the building first. I sighed as we made our way up to the fifth floor, trying to decide how we were going to approach this.

"Neither of us have Quirks that would be useful in preventing them from getting this far so I suppose our approach will be a fist fight, rather than some side plan like Shoto used. In which case we should probably make sure when we fight that we're not in the same room as the bomb."

Kirishima stared at me for a moment, probably surprised by my take charge attitude. Before he surveyed our surroundings. We were in the room outside where the bomb was held and he examined the area, peaking into the room with the bomb. "Yeah, but there's a second door into the room on the other side! We wouldn't be as strong if we separated so we need to find a way to block that door. If all they have to do is get through one of two doors then we're toast!"

"True," I sighed. "I suppose we could block the door with some boxes. It would be easy for them to move them but all we need is the warning that they're using that door. I can also help with that with my Quirk. If they take the other door I'll know."

"Can you see what their plan is?"

I raised my hand and deactivated my Quirk nullifier. I had left it up while watching the battles so I could focus fully on them. It all slammed back into my head with more force than I expected and I winced.

But it was fine. The only reason it felt so 'heavy' was probably because I was about to start a battle. There was a few significant decisions occurring at the moment. Reaching out I searched for Jiro and Denki's strategy.

I shook my head. "No, they're still discussing what they want to do. Their plans that they're considering seem to be focused more on just a frontal assault. They probably know any attempt at a sneak attack wouldn't work with me."

"That's fine with me," Kirishima said with a grin, his hardened fist slamming into his palm. "Sneak attacks aren't manly anyway!"

I huffed in amusement, watching him. "Like All Might said, sneak attacks are a valid strategy. They just don't work on me."

We blocked off the second doorway with some boxes, before returning to our chosen battle room, continuing to discuss tactics as we worked.

"Hey, do you know if you're immune to Denki's electricity when you're hardened?"

"No, I don't think I am, based on the robots in the entrance exam. When I punched them up, they still shocked me if I hit the wrong area. But I don't think it's anywhere near as effective as on normal people."

"Hmm, well at least the options there if we need it, even if it's not ideal."

"Will you be able to dodge their attacks? If you take them by surprise, I can get to them and take them out before they can use them." He held up the capture tape and I smiled.

"Exactly what I was thinking. But I thought sneak attacks weren't manly?" I joked and Kirishima looked affronted.

"It's not a sneak attack! It's just you responding to an attack that hasn't happened yet."

I shrugged, _that's true I suppose_.

I felt their plan solidify just before All Might's voice came over the speaker. "Match Three! Ready? Start!"

"They're coming up this way anyway so we didn't need to barricade anyway. You ready?"

Kirishima simply nodded, his arms out and a grin on his face. His entire body was hardened and he was watching the doorway, waiting.

I figured that this was the time to try the other setting on my visor and reached up to press it. My vision disappeared as the visor blacked out and I stretched out with my sight instead.

"Are you blind right now?

"It works for me, okay?"

"So _manly_!"

I laughed. Five seconds. "Here they come."

Jiro's last minute decision to make an entrance by blasting her heartbeat through the door caught me off guard. But I still had time to call out a warning to Kirishima before I ducked to the side and Jiro's heartbeat echoed through the room.

Even out of the range of fire it was ridiculously loud. _She's smart_ , I thought as my ears rang. She knew spontaneous decisions were the way to go with me. And she was fast. But I was a lot faster.

Just before she stopped projecting her heartbeat I charged from the side, pulling out my bō as I went. She barely had time to glance at me before I hit her in the back and sent her flying further into the room.

"Kirishima!" I called out and felt him charge her with the capture tape in hand. She brought up her hands to defend herself but it didn't matter. I knew that in moments he'd have her incapacitated.

The new problem was Denki. I jumped out of the way again just before he discharged his electricity. An electric current crackled through the room as he watched me with a grin on his face.

This is why I had practiced fighting without my vision. Using my foresight I could form a line of where the boundary of Denki's shock was. I stood on the edge of it shuffling backwards as he made his way into the room.

Soon he'd need to stop, for at least a moment, before firing off again. Soon. Soon.

 _Now_.

The zapping noises stopped just as I lunged for him. I swept my leg across the ground, taking his legs out from under him and Denki fell on his back with a curse. It didn't take me long to grab my own capture tape from my belt and tie it around his wrist.

Finished.

I stood up straight again and brought back the vision to my visor just as All Might announces Kirishima and I to be the winners. Grinning, I helped Denki to his feet and noted Kirishima doing that same with Jiro. They both seemed a bit downtrodden but not overly surprised, and to be honest I think they enjoyed the match. I know I did, a pleased feeling having risen in my chest.

Kirishima stepped up to me and offers his fist for a fist bump. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"I don't particularly want to fist bump a brick wall, Kirishima" I said dryly and Kirishima blanched before his fist softened back into its normal form.

I gave him his fist bump.

"You already said I could call you Mirai, so it's only fair you call me Eijiro!" He exclaimed with a grin as we made out of the building.

I smiled yet again, it surprised me how he seems to remain so upbeat all the time. I felt like it was a good quality for a person to have.

"Sure thing, Eijiro."

* * *

"Anyone know why young Himori is the MVP?"

Yaoyorozu put her hand up. But it was Shoto who spoke up.

"She managed to develop a battle plan that utilised the strengths of both her and her teammate while avoiding any significant damage to the building, or the weapon. She also acted efficiently, not allowing the battle to draw out and cause unnecessary injuries."

I gaped at him, once again surprised he'd spoken up. I felt a blush form on my cheeks and almost didn't hear All Might confirm his thoughts. All I managed to get out was a "thanks Shoto", before I turned away and pretended to be occupied fiddling with the visor in my hands. I could feel his eyes on me for a moment, but it didn't seem to matter though because All Might announced the next fight.

Before long we were finished and making our way back to the classroom. I was a bit disappointed that I'd have to turn the visor back in. I'd enjoyed having my head foresight free for a change.

However, it was probably a good thing I couldn't get used to it, my mind drifting to when it had hurt to re-establish the connection. It was curious. Also something I'd have to figure out. Foresight hurt the most when significant things were happening, but it was when these significant things were happening that I needed to nullify the Quirk or risk being absorbed into visions.

In future I'd have to make guidelines, I thought, on when it was appropriate to turn the Quirk off. And I would definitely need a time limit on how long the connection was gone.

It wasn't like my brain was unused to it. I just pictured it like a blocked drain. When there was just a constant stream of information and visions, it was fine. However, if I blocked it off, when I opened the connection again the channel was flooded and it hurt. I already got enough migraines from overusing my quirk occasionally. I didn't need to add this risk factor as well.

I sighed as I settled back into my seat. I had a lot to think about.

My thoughts were cut off by a voice. "Say Mirai, how many of the futures that you see show me taking you out on a date this afternoon."

I snorted. I hadn't even noticed him approach me, and I didn't even have to check to know that the likelihood of Denki and I going on a date this afternoon was even less than the likelihood of Aizawa staying awake until lunch time tomorrow.

"Unfortunately that's a zero, sorry Denki. But if you ask out the girl with the pink hair in class 1H, she'll say yes." I was pleased to see that his grin only faded slightly. Mostly joking then, that was good.

"Hey, hey, hey! How come you're helping Kaminari get a date? That's not fair! Who do I have to ask out to get a yes?" Mineta was standing on his chair, facing us as he spoke. Even though he was standing, he came up to the same height as the rest of the boys while sitting. I had to hold back a snort.

I pretended to consider it, before I just shook my head. "I don't think you have the money to pay for her, Mineta."

I heard Eijiro and Sero break out laughing at the front of the classroom. I swear I even saw Shoto's mouth twitch.

"Hey that's not fair! I saw you walking home with Todoroki yesterday! What's the difference between us? How come he can get girls like you to date him?"

Annoyed at the entire conversation, I allowed instinct to take over and blurted out the first thing to my head.

"Well the difference is I'm not marrying _you_."

The room temperature dropped what felt like ten degrees.

"EHH?!"

 _Shit_.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Betrothals are a complicated thing.**


	5. Betrothals are a complicated thing

**Once again, this was supposed to be only half a chapter but it got too long so I split them. Instead you'll have to wait a bit before you see how the class reacts to Shoto and Mirai being engaged, along with a few other things finally being cleared up next chapter. But here you go, nothing but pre-UA Shoto and Mirai.**

* * *

 _The day the letter arrived from Enji Todoroki was also the day I received the final notice for hospital payments. Any other day I would have thrown it out after barely reading the first few lines._

 _But I hesitated._

 _I was vulnerable I suppose. I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence that it had arrived on that day or intentional but it didn't matter. Either way, I read the letter._

 _He was looking for a wife for his son. A quirk marriage._

 _It had surprised me, I didn't think the number two hero, Endeavor, would involve himself in controversial things like that, but apparently so. Then again, as number two hero, he was extremely rich. For all I knew_

 _It didn't matter. It was the money in the arrangement that I was interested in. I felt sick just thinking about what I was going to do. It was so immoral, not hero like at all. But I had no choice._

 _Besides, I think any way I looked at it I was probably getting the short end of the stick._

 _Shoto Todoroki had just turned 15 yesterday, the photo attached showed a boy with shocking white and red hair, split evenly down the middle. A significant red burn scar stood out starkly against his left eye and I noticed they were two different colours. His left was turquoise and his right a steel grey colour. In the photo he appeared to be mid sparing, or at least that's what I assumed given the look of deep concentration on his face. I couldn't help but notice straight away he was quite attractive._

 _According to the letter, his quirk was half-hot, half-cold. Ice with one side and fire with another. It was an extremely powerful quirk, and only physical. I wondered if that was why Endeavor had singled me out. My quirk was mental, I didn't know how he'd found it in the first place but there were probably public records that he could access with peoples quirks listed. I didn't know the statistics behind it but it was probable that any children we had had the potential to inherit both quirks. It was like Endeavor was trying to build a super family of pro-heroes. And for all I knew it could be successful._

 _I stared at the photo for some time, while my thoughts raced._

 _If I accepted this union I'd have immediate ties to the family. Which was rich. I could make all the hospital payments disappear. But if I accepted the union I'd be marrying someone I knew nothing about. All I had to go off was his quirk and a photo of him. He could be a total asshole. He could also be a really nice guy._

 _I glanced at the photo again. His eyes. They showed such determination. Even in the grainy photo I could see he was pushing himself to train harder, to be better._

 _I sighed._

 _I knew what I needed to do._

* * *

 _The night before I met Shoto Todoroki for the first time, I cried myself to sleep. The house was empty, except for me. It had been that way for months, so I cried without holding back. I cried with relief that my mother now had a chance to get better. I cried with heartbreak over what I was giving up for that. I didn't regret my decision for a second._

 _I had told my mother yesterday about what I'd done and she had been understandably furious with me at first. A part of me found it ironic that she was angry that I'd made a decision that was her responsibility to make. A decision that affected me the most. But before long her anger ran out and she just cried. She cried because her daughter was losing a part of her future. She cried because her daughter was giving her own future back. We both cried because we both knew that this was the only way for me to reach my dream. I had begun to give up on becoming a pro-hero as my mother spent more time in hospital and the bills piled up. This was my chance to fix that._

 _That day I had climbed onto the hospital bed that held my mother and she had just hugged to me her side while we sat in silence. I remembered her squeezing me tight as she whispered in my ear._

 _"Your future is still so bright, my star. I don't think anything could change that."_

* * *

 _The next day arrived with clear blue skies and I couldn't decide if it was the universe telling me to cheer up or perhaps a sign that my mother was correct about my bright future._

 _I barely remembered travelling to the address I'd been given, until I zoned back into my surroundings and gaped at it. It was a huge complex. It kind of looked like an academy rather than a house. But perhaps that was Endeavors preferred style._

 _After being buzzed through the gate I walked up the short path to the front door. Before I could knock though it was opened by a young woman with white hair. She wore glasses and I noted the red patches woven through her hair._ Interesting, was it natural? _She looked too young to be the mother, but I smiled at her regardless._

 _"Hi! You must be Himori Mirai. Nice to meet you! I'm Todoroki Fuyumi. You can call me Fuyumi though, Shoto is my younger brother." She smiled at me and I smiled shyly back._

 _"Nice to meet you, Fuyumi." Why was I acting so timid all of a sudden? I could feel the frustration in side of me, the part that was wondering why I could barely meet her eye. But I suppose it was an important day. I needed this to go well and couldn't afford to screw it up._

 _"Where's Himori Hikari? I assumed she'd be with you."_

 _"My mother couldn't be here but she sends her apologies. She's on a business trip." I lied. I had decided it would be better if I didn't tell them the truth. Too risky, in case they decided they were better off looking elsewhere for a bride. But Fuyumi didn't seem to notice she merely nodded and smiled at me._

 _Footsteps echoed in the hall and I turned my attention to a new figure approaching._

 _Endeavor._

 _He was huge._

 _He didn't have his flames on at the moment which I was very grateful for. It was hard enough not to wet my pants looking up at his intimidating figure as it was. If he'd had fire wreathing him as well my legs probably would have locked up._ Don't screw this up _, I thought to myself._ You need this _._

 _"Fuyumi, retrieve your brother. It's time for him to meet his bride."_

 _"Y-yes father." Fuyumi spoke as she turned and walked away down the hall. I watched her go for a moment before returning my attention to the giant in front of me._

 _Endeavor had his arms crossed in front of me as he surveyed me and I tried to meet his gaze evenly. It was difficult, but I wouldn't back down._

 _"So, you're the foresight girl. I see your mother didn't come."_

 _"No, sir. She's unavailable. I came by myself."_

 _"And you intend to be a hero, correct?"_

 _"Yes… sir." I answered. It took everything in me to not let my voice quake as he continued to study me._

 _"Good."_

 _Fuyumi soon returned with a boy following her through the door. I looked up. It was definitely the one from the photo. His gaze was impassive as he avoided looking at me. He stopped beside Endeavor and stared forward into nothing with what looked like a bored expression._

 _"Ah Shoto, good. It is time. Meet Himori Mirai. Since I've arranged a betrothal between the two of you, you'll be getting to know each other." Shoto Todoroki didn't react to the news aside from his fist clenching slightly at his side. I assumed from that that he was aware of the arrangement. "Introduce yourself."_

 _I hesitated, assuming he was speaking to his son, so I waited for him to make the first move._

 _He didn't even react._

 _Suddenly Endeavor's face was wreathed with flame as he stared down at his son. Despite my efforts not to, I flinched at the sight. I was right. He was an intimidating figure without the flames and the flames just added to the image. "Shoto," his deep voice all but growled._

 _Todoroki's hands clenched at his side before he slowly made his way forward and held out his hand for presumably a handshake._ How romantic _, I thought dryly._

 _"Todoroki Shoto."_

 _"H-Himori Mirai," I stuttered in return and a blush rose on my cheeks._

 _"Good. I'll leave you two to become aquainted. Come, Fuyumi." The two of them left the room and we were left in awkward silence for a moment while I tried to figure out what to say. My mind blanked._

 _When I looked up again Todoroki was finally looking at me and our eyes met. His mismatched stare met mine and I refused to be the one who looked away as it seemed to go on forever. I don't know if he was challenging me or assessing me but I didn't back down. Eventually he broke the staring contest and walked past me to the door, opening it before pausing half way through._

 _"Are you coming?"_

 _"Uh, I guess?" I questioned, hesitantly following him through the door. We made our way down the stairs and he began walking around the compound. I followed silently, watching him as we walked. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and his face didn't show any emotion as he walked at an even pace next to me. I could see the scar that surrounded his eye and I was curious. I wondered if he'd done it to himself when he was young and couldn't control his quirk. But the placement was strange, and I didn't know if he could even be burned by his fire. I added it to a list of unknowns that were growing as I followed my fiancée around the house. I stayed silent since I didn't know what to expect from him, deciding to wait for him to make the first move._

 _"Your mother arranged this with my father?"_

 _"Yes." I lied through my teeth._

 _"What's your quirk?"_

 _"I can see visions of the future. Generally its close events, things over the next few hours are easiest. But occasionally I have visions or dreams that can extend to years away." Todoroki said nothing as we continued to walk. If he hadn't been the one to ask I would of thought he wasn't listening at all. "What's your quirk?"_

 _"I'm assuming my father already told you."_

 _"Yeah." The silence that descended was awkward. I didn't know what to say. He seemed to have no interest in getting to know me. If I didn't know better I'd say he was reluctant about this arrangement. But then again, maybe I didn't know better. There had been no sign so far that he'd been involved in organising the arrangement, every interaction so far had been him being displeased at the least. Perhaps he was just doing as his father told him._

 _I spoke up again._

 _"I plan on being a pro-hero. Is that going to be an issue?"_

 _He glanced at me for a moment before merely shaking his head. "I plan on terminating this engagement once I finish school. Is that going to be an issue?"_

 _My head whipped around to stare at him in shock. Wow, so he was in fact, a very unhappy participant of this engagement. Fire burned in his eyes as he stared at me and I tried to come up with something to say._

 _So Todoroki definitely didn't want this engagement. Had his father forced this upon him? I wondered what other things went on behind the scenes in this family. Just before, when we were introduced, I had noticed the cold way he treated Endeavor. But at that stage, I had been unsure whether he was just the arrogant son of a rich but caring father who was trying to straighten him out. Even though he was barely speaking as we walked around the complex, I could already tell that was not the case. Either way, it wasn't any of my business. Especially if Todoroki intended to end the engagement._

 _If he wasn't planning on ending the engagement until after school finished though this may be a best case scenario for me. To have the financial support of his family behind me through school, and then not be the one to terminate the relationship afterwards, when I no longer needed it. It was almost too good to be true. Sure, we were still going to have to spend time together between now and then, but I didn't consider that to be too much of a strain._

 _"No. No, it isn't going to be an issue." I smiled up at him and I thought I saw the burning anger behind his eyes increase at that. Huh, oh, he probably thought I was also viewing it as a ticket out of a reluctant relationship. I was, but not how he thought. "Although, you know, we're still going to have to spend time together. Your dad probably expects us to meet up once a week or something. Any thoughts on that?"_

 _Todoroki turned his attention back to the front and even though his hands were in his pockets, I could tell they were balled in to fists. "No, I don't particularly care."_

 _I hummed. "There's a park near Yavin station that I sometimes go to. We could meet there once a week after school? It also has a few things around it that we can go to on some afternoons." The park was only a short walk from UA High School, and if everything went according to plan, it would work well for me to get to after school. Although, I frowned, I had no idea where Todoroki was going to school. He could have been off to one of the elite hero schools in America for all I knew. And if that was the case we wouldn't be meeting after school anyway. It didn't matter though, I liked that park. There was a huge tree off to the side that I swear was man made to lie under. It would suit for our meetings for now._

 _"That works well for me, Himori."_

 _I scoffed. "Please, if we're going to be betrothed, you may as well call me by my first name. Call me Mirai." I sent him a grin as I looked up at him. We had made our way back to the main entrance to the house and Todoroki looked down at me for a moment. He seemed to be contemplating something before he turned his attention to stare across the courtyard. Was it the fading light, or did his cheeks look darker?_

 _"Shoto."_

 _"Okay," I smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Shoto."_

* * *

 _I soon found out that what I had thought was Shoto being extremely quiet was about as talkative as he got. When I arrived at the park for our first meeting just a few days later I found him standing in the middle of a walkway, staring off into the distance._

 _"Hello, Shoto."_

 _He slowly turned around to face me, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I wondered if he did this on purpose so no one could ever tell when he got emotional. All I received back though was a nod before he turned and began walking. I took this as a cue to join him._

 _After walking in silence for a short while I decided to break it again. "So, what do you want to do?"_

 _He didn't respond for a while and I felt annoyance build up in my chest. I was just trying to make the best of a difficult situation. I considered informing him of that but he finally spoke up._

 _"I'm going to take a nap."_

 _"Uh… O-okay?" So that was a no on us getting to know each other._

 _Shoto made his way over to the huge tree in the corner of the park and I couldn't help but smile. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was a cool tree. Following him, I watched has he sat down on the grass at the base of the tree, resting his back against it. In turn I decided to lay down near him so I could look up at the branches above us. When I turned to study him his eyes were already closed._

 _"I've always been jealous of people who could nap without laying down. I don't know why but I can't get comfortable."_

 _Only silence followed my admission._ Hmm _. He really was set on just ignoring me. I didn't let it bother me though. He wasn't particularly rude or mean in any way, which is all I needed. I was fine with neutral. It was probably better actually._

 _"So is this how it's going to be at our meetings? You napping and I bored. Perhaps next time I'll bring a book."_

 _I thought I may have heard a hum in response to that but I wasn't sure. I sighed._ This wasn't too bad _, I thought._ In fact, it may even be nice _._

 _The next two hours that we'd organised together passed mostly in silence. Or at least, Shoto was silent. I mostly daydreamed as I stared up at the sky. Occasionally making comments about random things._

 _"I'm surprised you chose this tree. It's always been my favourite when I visit this park."_

 _"Apparently Mt Lady, that heroine who debuted a few months ago, is opening an agency a few blocks from here. I wonder if it's because there's more open space and she's less likely to damage things."_

 _"You probably want to take the Jakku line back to your place today. A villain's being a pest on the main line and they've got an hour delay."_

 _When the two hours were finally up, I stretched before standing up. Shoto didn't move. Hesitantly I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder to rouse him if needed. However when I touched him his eyes shot open and he gazed up at me with an indecipherable expression._

 _I flushed. "Sorry, but it's getting late and I'm sure you want to go home." I said as I retreated a step, watching him. He merely nodded before standing up fluidly as well. I wondered if he'd actually been napping during our meeting, his reaction to me touching him had been very quick, but perhaps he just had quick reflexes._

 _We made our way back to the entrance to the park and once we were there I turned to look at him with a smile._

 _"So, same time next week? I'll keep in mind to bring a book."_

 _Shoto's lips twitched for a moment, before he merely nodded and walked away._ Curiouser and curiouser _, I thought, before I turned and made my own way back home._

 _Over the next three months we developed a pattern. Turn up at the park. Shoto would sit in silence while I did whatever I felt like, occasionally speaking. It was kind of nice. Not that I'd ever tell anyone that. Sometimes I would get frustrated and annoyed at him. How was he okay with just sitting against a tree for two hours straight just meditating? Ignoring anything I said to him. I would scoff at him before walking to the other side of the park to calm down, returning once I could look at him without the childish urge to stick my tongue out at him. He never moved._

 _I got used to it over time though. I cut off the visions of him so that I wasn't tempted to scan our future together. Every time I had, the visions had ranged so much it gave me a head ache. It was easier to just not be tempted. Of course, that hadn't panned out like I thought it would._

* * *

 **I'm hoping to have the next chapter up tonight since it's almost finished! See you then! :)**


	6. Well, what did you expect?

**I'm sorry I didn't upload this two days ago like I intended! I went away with my family and my brother insisted we binge watch Young Justice so I was preoccupied with him since he generally avoids hanging out with me. :P**

 **Also I've gone back and edited a few things I found when I reread it because apparently my formatting didn't stay which is stupid but whatever. A long with this I changed the first part of chapter 1 since I've got a better feel for the story but nothing significant has changed so don't worry about it, it's just there for my satisfaction mainly, sorry.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

" _Ehh?!_ "

"Y-you and Todoroki are engaged?"

"What the hell, Mirai!"

"No fair! You never told us you were engaged!"

"That's intriguing."

"Himori! What is the meaning of this! Such discussions in a classroom are inappropriate!"

I watched as frost formed on Shoto's desk and cringed. It was interesting that while I could almost feel goosebumps on my arm from the chill of the room, I could also feel him literally trying to burn a hole in the side of my head.

I turned to give him an apologetic glance which he ignored as he returned to staring forward into nothing, acting like the entire class's attention wasn't on us. The frost on his desk quickly disappeared as he got control of his emotions and I sighed. Looks like I was on my own for handling this. I had it coming. And to be fair, yesterday, he had been the one to point out that I would probably let the cat out of the bag. He probably didn't realise it would be less than 24 hours later though.

I sighed as everyone looked at me. Eijiro and Sero looked thunderstruck, and Denki just looked confused. Beside me, Ochaco's mouth was open as she gaped at me, eyes blown wide.

I had no idea how to handle this. It wasn't like it was unheard of for teenagers to have betrothals. Some people had it at an even younger age. It was just strange for them to have two classmates engaged. _I should have thought this through before I opened my mouth_. It was inevitable for the class to find out, but I should have thought of an excuse that didn't immediately have their suspicions landing on a quirk marriage.

Quirk marriages weren't outlawed, but they were frowned upon. People considered them unethical and also were a heavy debate topic in terms of 'stacking' up quirks. So I decided I needed to get off this topic quickly before anyone had the chance to think it through.

"Yes, we're engaged, and that's basically all there is to know." I decided. Simple, hopefully the conversation would end there. Of course, it didn't.

"Is this one of those rich people things? You all get engaged at a young age. I didn't know you were well off, Mirai, I thought you were one of us!" Denki called out in surprise.

I was glad he assumed it was a betrothal between two powerful families. Of course that was definitely not the case, I was from the middle class and while Shoto was well off because of his father, and his family was still nowhere near as rich as Yaoyorozu, a typical example of those types of families.

Speaking of Yaoyorozu, she was watching me with a calculating look on her face. I could tell she was coming to the logical conclusion. It wasn't exactly like Shoto and I were head over heels in love with each other, so you could rule out it being our own decision to get married. Since she was also undoubtedly unfamiliar with my name in the upper class gossip circle, and probably aware of the potential for powerful quirks if Shoto and I were to have children. I knew she was realizing that it was a quirk marriage. I shot her a glance that I hoped conveyed the 'please don't say anything out loud' that I was currently thinking and she bit her lip before nodding.

I gave a silent sigh of relief that she wasn't going to say anything, but I knew she would probably ask me about it later.

"It's not that uncommon for unions to be made between successful families, even if they are only temporary. It helps with business acquisitions, my cousin has a similar arrangement and I'm attending her wedding next week."

Yaoyorozu spoke like it was a logical assumption to the rest of the class. I smiled, _she really is awesome_. I chose to nod in agreement, suggesting that that was what ours was.

"It works for us," was all I said as people gaped at Yaoyorozu. They seemed to calm down from the shock of it all slowly.

Thankfully, before anyone could ask any more questions the door opened and Midoriya walked in, back from his trip to the nurse's office.

"Oh, Midoriya's here!" Eijiro exclaimed, before him and several other classmates, made their way to the front of the classroom to speak with him.

I allowed myself to slump back into my seat.

 _That was so stupid_ , I thought to myself, _why didn't I think it through properly before I opened my mouth._

Movement from beside me caught my attention and I turned to see Shoto standing smoothly from his desk as he swung his bag over his shoulder. Class had technically ended so we were free to leave. Shoto caught my eye as he made his way past my desk and the message was clear. We needed to talk.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I followed him out the door.

When I got outside the classroom, Shoto was leaning against the wall next to the windows that looked out over the courtyard with his hands in his pockets as he watched me. There were a few people milling around in the hall but they were far enough away that our conversation wouldn't be heard. Not that it mattered that much anyway.

I walked up to him and stopped a few feet in front of him as he surveyed me. The look he was giving me was cold and it sent tiny shivers down my back.

He was unsurprisingly not impressed with what had just happened in the classroom and he had every right to be. I hadn't exactly had any opportunity to speak to him about it, given how shut off he was, but even spending time together in silence gave you a look at who that person was.

Shoto was a private person. And me blurting out that we were engaged had an effect on him too. I had no doubt our fellow classmates would try to approach him about it with questions, and that was the last thing he wanted. He continued to just stare at me with his harsh gaze as the seconds passed, and I tried to figure out what to say to him.

Eventually, I gave him a cheeky grin that pulled at my cheeks as I looked up at him, before uttering my apology.

"Sorry?"

The hardness in his eyes cracked slightly at that and he let out a huff before turning his eyes away from me to the side. Even though he didn't show it I knew I was off the hook. My cheeky grin had the ability to get me out of anything, or at least that was what my mother said. Apparently Aizawa-sensei was the exception to that rule but that was fine, Shoto was not as immune as he appeared.

"Was that really necessary?" He asked as he turned his attention back to me and I shrugged as my grin faded.

"Mineta isn't exactly my favourite person in this class." Shoto actually snorted at that. "So when he wouldn't shut up and started acting like he had any potential to- like he was even close to the same league as-"

I cut myself off abruptly as a furious blush flooded my face. _I couldn't say that_. I turned my attention to my shoes so I wouldn't have to look at Shoto. I didn't even know where it actually came from. I mean, sure, even though Shoto spent a lot of the time ignoring me, I still knew he was a thousand times better than Mineta. That wasn't exactly a difficult assumption. But why had I felt the need to point it out?

Sure, there had been times over the last few months where I had enjoyed my afternoons with Shoto. It was peaceful. And on those occasions where we'd be at the park and I'd dedicate time to simply sitting there studying him, watching his hair shift in the breeze, he never said anything. Even though, looking back, he was probably aware I was watching him. So what if I thought he was a pretty good guy, it didn't matter.

"A-anyway, I just… didn't like him thinking I'd ever be interested in a little perv like him." I concluded quietly. _Shit_. That wasn't how this conversation was supposed to go.

Thankfully Shoto didn't comment, although I could feel him watching me with a calculating look. He merely hummed. Before either of us had a chance to say anything, or perhaps before I could just bolt and never return, an arm wrapped around my shoulder making me jump.

"Hey there, future Mrs Todoroki! Seems like you've got some explaining to do. You going to come with us to the library this afternoon?" I turned to Eijiro who was grinning as he looked down at me. I could see Denki, Sero and Mina behind us as well, Mina was giggling at me, unsurprisingly.

"I actually can't sorry. I have to be somewhere this afternoon." I grimaced apologetically. As sincere as I was that I actually wanted to hang out with them, I felt bad about how thankful I was to have an excuse not to today. I needed time to come up with a complete cover story for our betrothal. Something that didn't include 'Yeah, Shoto's dad arranged a quirk marriage for him without Shoto's approval and I accepted because I needed their money.'

"Aww that sucks! Well don't forget, we'll talk tomorrow at lunch!" The four of them walked off laughing and I mustered a fake smile at my booked in interrogation.

"Can't wait."

Turning back to Shoto, we looked at each other for a moment, I gave him a strained smile before I used the opportunity to leave, walking quickly down the hall.

Of course, straight away I noticed footsteps behind me and turned to see Shoto following me down the hall. He quirked a brow at my inquisitive look.

"We're both heading to the station. You shouldn't be surprised."

"Right," I sighed, slightly annoyed but slowed my steps to allow Shoto to walk beside me instead of behind me. We walked side by side in silence, until after we left UA grounds, and Shoto spoke.

"You said you had to be somewhere this afternoon. Where is that?"

I contemplated how to answer him as we made our way to the station. Part of me wanted to tell him, another wasn't ready. Especially considering how it linked to him. The seconds drew out as I tossed about whether to say anything and Shoto waited patiently. He probably trusted that I would respond to him.

I sighed again.

"I have to go see someone. But… I'm not ready to tell you about it sorry. Soon but not today." I sent him an apologetic smile and he seemed content with that, giving me a brief nod to show he understood.

When we reached the station, I checked the trains and found that mine was about to arrive. The train to Shoto's house was a few minutes away. Deciding to give him a quick gift for the whole 'secrets out' debacle, I closed my eyes and searched forward for a moment.

"You should get off at the stop after your house instead today. There's a villain between the stop before and your place so it'd take you a while to get through." Shoto's house was smack bang between two stations. I assumed he normally hopped off at the closer one since it involved less time on the train, but in this instance, he was better walking from the second stop.

Shoto huffed out a breath before looking down at me again and his lips twitched into a smile, amusement in his eyes. "Thanks."

Wow. I thought. I could count on one hand, the amount of times Shoto had smiled at me. I blinked, surprised, before the trains arrival brought me out of my stupor.

"You're catching this train?" Shoto asked, a frown in his voice. For a second my heart leapt, thinking it was because he was disappointed I was leaving too soon. But then I realised he was looking at the destinations on the train. Shoto probably knew that this didn't lead to my house, and the only significant non-residential area it stopped at was the hospital. The hospital my mother was at.

I gave him a small smile again as I walked over to enter the train. "Like I said, not today, sorry."

I felt his eyes on my back as I boarded the train.

* * *

The moment I opened the door to my mother's room I could feel the tension leak from my shoulders and the pit in my stomach sealed up. Hikari Himori looked up at my entrance and gave me a bright smile.

"Hey, you."

"Hello, my star," my mother spoke, a bright smile lighting up her face as she looked at me. Her voice still sounded weak, but it was much stronger than it had been a few months ago. Each day she was getting stronger and it made the ironclad grip that was clenching my heart release a little bit every time.

I made my way over to her bed and immediately climbed up onto it and curled around her side. My mother simply laughed, used to this from me. I knew it was childish, but I couldn't care less.

When my mother had been diagnosed with cancer a year ago it had been one of the worst days of my life. She had felt fine, and didn't even notice anything was wrong until she went to her annual health check-up and it felt like the floor had been dropped out from beneath us.

Life changed pretty quickly that day.

My mother had started her chemotherapy the next week and before long was moved into the hospital semi-permanently so they could keep an eye on her treatment. I remembered when the two of us had discussed what would happen with me once she was admitted. We had no family left, and we both knew me going into a care system would only be detrimental, so we had lied. She told the hospital my uncle was going to look after me, and I had resided in our house alone ever since.

I counted my lucky stars every day that my mother had responded well to the treatment. But it wasn't a quick and easy process, and unfortunately, our money grew thin.

Since my father had died, she had taken up more hours at her job to help adjust to the new hole in our lives. But of course, she stopped working once her treatment started, and I was too young to find work that could help her. The money dwindled, before eventually, there was barely enough to afford my groceries, let alone her continued hospital stay and treatments.

It had felt like a sick joke.

My mother's treatment was almost done, the results were excellent so far. And yet. There was nothing we could do. No money to support it, no way to keep going. To get so close, but not be allowed to cross the finish line due to something as trivial as money had been like some sort of a cosmic joke.

That was when the letter from Endeavor had arrived, and I decided that it didn't matter that I had to marry someone I didn't love. Not if it meant my mother could finish her treatment and, eventually, return home.

A decision I don't think I could ever regret.

I was brought back to the present by my mother stroking my hair as she looked down at me in my new school uniform. Pride shone in her eyes and I could almost feel the happiness radiating off her.

"How is school so far, honey? Are you making friends? Is it everything you wanted?"

I sighed happily, and a grin formed on my face.

"Yeah, it's awesome. It's only been two days and we've already used our quirks more than I would have thought we could. Plus my costume is awesome! I can't wait to show you. There's a lot of cool people in my class too, although I don't understand how they can be so cheery all the time…"

My mother and I spoke about school for a while and she seemed so pleased to hear about how I was enjoying it. I knew she had worried, and wondered, if what I had given up was worth it.

"Actually, I just remembered something," I said abruptly, cutting off her mentioning the hospital food. "Shoto is in my class."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Neither of us realised until we got to class and saw each other. Apparently, UA was the school he got into through recommendations. But it's actually been alright so far, he even seems more chatty than normal with me… which still isn't much, but it's different."

"Wow, you certainly have had an interesting first few days haven't you?" My mother spoke, a smile in her voice. "So when do I get to meet him?"

I sighed. Not sure what to say.

I hadn't exactly told my mother that Shoto and I were unlikely to ever actually get married, since he planned on breaking it off after school ended. It had just seemed too complicated and also I had worried that if I told her he didn't want to marry me, it would twist her gentle hints and nudges at wanting to meet him into a blatant, unavoidable insistence. She would definitely want to get a feel for his future and also give him an earful of how I was out of his league or something, even if both of us wanted the engagement to be broken.

"I don't know, we haven't exactly spoken about any of this stuff."

"Yes, but you're going to have to do it eventually. You can't keep me in the dark forever, Mirai, I'm going to meet him whether you want it or not. And soon enough, I won't even need your help to meet him." She spoke smugly, pure joy in her eyes about something that I wasn't sure of and almost too nervous to ask.

"What?" I asked warily.

"I might be going into remission after next week."

* * *

 **Tbh guys I'm actually avoiding Mirai calling her mother "mum" because I know other countries spell it "mom" but I'm Aussie so it's "Mum" and I can't decide whether to just go with where I'm from or what. I figured the best way to deal with it was just avoid it indefinitely like all my problems.**

 **Hopefully there's a much smaller gap in upload time between this chapter and next but we'll have a see! Please feel free to leave a review and also follow and favourite the story, I enjoy reading them!**


	7. Dangerous Visions

**Here's another chapter because I had the night to myself and I was feeling it. I enjoyed writing this one so I hope you enjoy reading it!**

* * *

When I arrived at school the next day, not even the huge crowd of reporters at the front gate could ruin the ecstatic mood I was in. I didn't think anything could get in the way of how happy I was with life right then.

Although they did give me pause.

I sighed when I noticed them and halted just out of the way so they wouldn't notice me. I hummed as I tried to find the best way to get passed them without attracting their attention.

I noticed a couple of my classmates being questioned and eventually decided the easiest approach was to just time it right, it would make good practice too I guessed.

I allowed a boy behind me to overtake my slower pace as I approached the crowd before I closed my eyes and focused.

One step forward, the boy in front of me was targeted by three reporters who took their eyes off of me. Two steps forward, a reporter to my right dropped his notepad and he and another man bent to retrieve it. One step forward and a side twist away from the man in front who was checking the photos on his camera. I ducked and made another two quick steps and suddenly I was out of the crowd and inside the UA grounds.

I grinned in satisfaction, having made it through without a single reporter harassing me. However, when I turned back I noticed Shoto making his way through the crowd, his icy demeanor stopping most reporters from approaching him and those who did were entirely ignored.

 _Or I could have done that, I suppose_. I thought while watching him. _Way to be a buzzkill_.

Either way, my good mood returned as soon as I turned to face the school again and I was smiling to myself as I made my way to the classroom and sat down. When Shoto sat beside me, I grinned at him, to which he raised a single eyebrow in confusion, which I ignored.

My mother might be cancer free. Nothing could ruin today.

Just to make sure that was the case, I turned to stare out the window, allowing my mind to stretch and search through the close future, investigating my day.

So hero training wasn't particularly interesting today, just working out in the gym. All very important, but after yesterday it was a bit mediocre. But there was something about lunch. When I tried to look at it I got a twinge in return. _Hmm_. I wondered what that was about. Vaguely I noticed Aizawa walk in and start talking but I ignored it.

The way I viewed my quirk sometimes was that the future was a road with specific events stretched out across it, forming bumps in the road. The more significant the event, the larger the bump. And like a car on a road with bumps, this generally meant it hurt either when we reached it or when I tried to look at it, but it was something I had accepted as just a part of the quirk. It would be unfair to assume that quirks wouldn't have their limits. One of mine was that it hurt sometimes to look at the future.

Along with it sometimes being painful, it was also sometimes difficult to look at, unless of course, it decided to press in on my skull and not leave until I was absorbed in what felt like never ending visions. But what happened at lunch that was so significant? I couldn't figure out why anything would be…

"Now let's get down to homeroom business. Himori, what's the lunch special today?"

"Cold soba, but they run out pretty early." I replied vacantly.

It took me a second to zone back into my surroundings before I realised what had just happened.

Reality hits. _Shit_ , I thought as a furious blush took over my face and I could see Eijiro, Denki and Sero burst into hysterical laughter ahead of me. They're not alone as most of the class starts laughing with them or at least smiles at the exchange.

I sighed, _I've done it this time_. I wasn't even aware I'd zoned out so entirely, I'd even left my eyes open so anyone could see that I was definitely not in the present. Aizawa probably noticed my eyes gleaming white as I stared out the window and thought it was a good way to bring me back. I doubt he expected my response though.

I can already see this becoming a regular occurrence. Aizawa looked surprised at the front of the classroom, and yet I noticed an excited gleam in his eyes at the prospect of cold soba at lunch. The rest of the class continued to laugh at me and I noted absently that Mina was hauling Denki to his feet from where he'd fell off his chair while laughing.

"Alright, settle down." He drawls and Eijiro and Sero's hyena noises begin to die down. "Sorry about the late notice, but today, I'll have you…" You could see the class begin to stress at this and I smirked, "decide on a class representative."

"It's actually a normal school activity!" They all exclaimed and I gave a soft laugh, having allowed the unsolved lunch mystery disappear from my mind, after all. Today was going to be good.

To my left, Shoto turned to glance at me from the corner of his eye, undoubtedly hearing my small laugh. His head was resting on his hand, probably bored with it all and I gave him a smirk at his quirked eyebrow.

"Wait for it," I mouthed at him. Sure enough, suddenly the classroom exploded.

"I want to be class rep! Pick me!"

"Me too!"

"I want to do it, too."

"My manifesto is for all girls' skirts to be 30 centimeters above the knee!" My gleeful grin turned into a hard stare as I looked at Mineta a few desks away. _Good luck with that one_.

I thought about who I wanted to vote for with this. Sure there was a part of me that wanted the position for myself, it was a good opportunity to develop leadership skills, something I had the potential to be good at, and at UA no less. But I knew there was no future where that would happen unless I did something drastic in the next five minutes.

"Silence, please!" A voice cut through the chaos and I turned to Iida, who was standing up by his desk. "It is a job with the serious responsibility of leading others! It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it! It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you! If we want to use democracy to decide on a true leader then we should hold an election to choose one!"

I paused, thinking about it. It made the most sense to me. Iida's suggestion was logical, and had cut through the chaos that was forming around us. I grinned, _I knew who I was voting for._

The rest if the class was unconvinced, however, Iida quickly explained how and why voting was the best solution. I smiled. _Definitely voting for him_. Despite the fact that he was a bit too tight with the rules and regulations, I knew Iida was best suited for the role. He'd take it very seriously.

I frowned though when I searched forward again. He wouldn't win, Midoriya would, but that was fine. I just wanted to be able to say I voted for who I thought was best.

Shoto caught my attention and when I turned to him, he quirked an eyebrow and I could hear the unasked question.

 _Who wins the election?_

I inclined my head towards where Midoriya sat and Shoto's other eyebrow joined the first in surprise. I could almost hear what he was thinking.

 _Really? Midoriya? I wouldn't have thought._

I just shrugged in response.

Sure enough, when the election was finished, the results on the board showed Midoriya had three votes and Yaoyorozu had two.

Of course, Bakugo exploded.

"Why Deku?! Who voted for him?!"

"Well, it's better than voting for you." Sero sassed back and I held back a laugh.

I noticed a trembling to my right and turned my attention to Iida.

"Only one vote… I knew I wouldn't get it. That is only to be expected of a person's calling! But who was it that voted for me?"

"You voted for someone else, huh? So who voted for you?" Yaoyorozu asked Iida, but he merely shook his head in response. He had no clue either.

I felt eyes on me and turned to both Shoto and Yaoyorozu watching me, thoughtful looks on their faces. I merely quirked an eyebrow at them and shrugged, like I had no idea what they were enquiring of me, and tried to hide my smile. I turned back to the front of the classroom and ignored them continuing to watch me.

"Then, the class rep is Midoriya, and the deputy class rep will be Yaoyorozu." Aizawa announced, looking entirely uninterested and I bit back another laugh as I watched Midoriya tremble. Clearly, he had not expected this. I hoped it wore off and he regained his calm. But then again, there was something in the back of my mind nudging me about lunch.

Something was going to happen, but I couldn't figure it out, every time I tried to pry into it my head ached. I always felt like I was in one of those games where the vision was inside a locked chest and I hadn't been given the key to open it yet. I had to pass some kind of checkpoint first.

The thought plagued me all day until it was lunch time and suddenly the class was alive with action.

"Let's go guys! Mirai said the cold soba doesn't last for long and I'm hungry!" Eijiro called out to the class and the room suddenly became a lot emptier. I was surprised to find Shoto was one of the ones who had gone off in search of the limited lunch special. Someone was a fan, huh.

I made my own way slowly to lunch, since I was not that invested in ensuring I got cold soba, and joined the line to order. Sure enough when I reached the front, Lunch Rush was frowning apologetically.

When I had grabbed my food, I approached the table that held Denki, Mina, Eijiro and Sero. Sero turned to me and waved with a grin and I smiled as I made my way over.

Suddenly everything stopped.

 _People shouting, crushed together, someone called for help, another was shoved into a wall. I saw a girl fall and another person try to help her up against the pressing crowd._

 _There was a shrill whining in my head, like an alarm._

 _A hand, touching a gate. Rust spread out and webbed across the surface of it before it began to deteriorate. Before my very eyes the gate turned to dust._

A crash brought me out of my vision and I jolted, looking down to realise I had dropped my tray of food, rice spilling on the floor. I could feel people's eyes on me as the room quieted. There was movement in the corner of my eye behind me, something red and white. Eijiro stood from the table in front of me and called out my name in concern.

Acting on instinct, I took a step back and covered my ears with my hands just before a shrill whining started, the alarm, from my vision. People stilled again as a voice spoke.

"There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."

People started moving, running, and before I knew it, there was chaos everywhere. The visions tried to pull me back in and I grit my teeth, ignoring the throbbing in my head as the crowd pulled me along.

"Mirai!" I turned my head to find Eijiro and Denki pushing through the crowd towards me. Behind them I watched as Sero and Mina, who had been trying to follow them, were swept away with the crowd.

I pulled my hands up to the sides of my head and pushed, like I was trying to keep my head together before it exploded. Denki and Eijiro arrived and they each grabbed an arm, holding me to them against the rush of the crowd.

"Are you okay?" Denki spoke and I clenched my teeth tighter together as I shook my head.

"The visions, they won't stop." I grunted, trying in vain to push them back. I tried to stay in the reality but it was difficult. _This is why I ordered the visor_ , I thought absently against the pain.

"We need to get out of here before someone gets hurt." Denki called over the noise and we allowed the crowd to pull us towards the exit, getting jostled in the process.

An elbow to my ribs broke my concentration and I felt the visions absorb me.

 _"I can't breathe, there's too many people!_

 _"Ow! That hurt!"_

 _Police sirens._

 _"We need to stay calm!"_

Suddenly I heard Denki curse and I felt his grasp on my arm loosen. Another body jostled into me and Eijiro's hand was ripped from my other arm as well.

"Shit!"

"Everyone, stop!" I heard them shouting over the crowd but it was no use.

Bodies continued to press in on me and I felt panic rise in my chest. I couldn't get out of the visions, I couldn't see what was happening around me. I could just feel people pushing and bumping. I didn't know how I could get out of this. _This was supposed to be a good day_.

Another hand grabbed my arm and pulled me against a body and suddenly the push and shove of the crowd lessened just slightly. I noted the hand that was gripping my arm tightly was cold.

"Mirai."

Shoto.

"I- there's too much- I can't get out." I stuttered as he pulled me against him. I could feel him dragging me to the side, but I didn't know what was going on, I was focused on the visions in my head.

 _"We need to calm this down!"_

 _"Iida!"_

 _A shadow fell over what looked like a staff room. It rippled._

I winced again and pushed against the visions surrounding me. Suddenly I could feel myself being pressed against a solid surface. A wall? And the battering of the crowd all but slipped to zero. Without the physical interference I put my hands on my head against and gave a small cry as I shoved everything tightly into a box.

Grunting with the pain I opened my eyes blearily to Shoto standing over me and barricading me against the wall with his body. I blinked in surprise at finding out close our faces were. Shoto seemed a bit shocked as well as his eyes widened and he pulled back slightly.

Suddenly a burst of noise came across the room and my eyes widened when I saw Iida shooting across the room near the roof with his engines. He was spinning wildly out of control and I watched as he landed above the exit sign and shouted above the chaos of the room.

"Everyone, everything is fine! It is just the media! There is nothing to panic about! Everything is fine! This is UA! Let us act in a way befitting the best of the best!"

It was like flicking a switch and everything just stopped. The visions in my head disappeared too and I gave a huge sigh of relief. Of course, the visions were gone, but the pain was not, I could feel a wicked migraine coming on.

I gave out a groan of pain and allowed my head to slump against Shoto's shoulder in front of me. He tensed in response but didn't move.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice a bit stiff.

I hummed in response, although it sounded more like another groan. "My head… hurts."

This was what I hated. I had learned to control searching for visions. I had learned to supress visions, or at least sometimes, but I had yet to find a way to stop the pain whenever I used my quirk too much. _Even when it was involuntarily_ , I thought sulkily as my head throbbed.

"Mirai! You're okay! We lost you in the crowd and couldn't-" Eijiro broke off when he saw me resting my head against Shoto's shoulder. I lifted my head to give them a drained smile and Shoto stepped back from me as the crowd dispersed.

"I'm alright, Shoto grabbed me luckily. I just have a huge headache."

Shoto frowned down at me and I tried to find what he was thinking in his eyes. Nothing. Unreadable like usual.

"You should go to the nurse's office. She can probably help." He said to me before he turned and walked away. I watched him go with a frown.

"Sorry to interrupt the 'moment' with your future groom, hey, Mirai." Denki spoke beside me with a grin and I let out a little laugh before wincing from the headache flaring up at it.

"Don't worry about it. Any chance one of you wants to walk me to the nurse's office?" I asked.

The boys both puffed out their chests before moving to either side of me to accompany me to the nurse. I laughed despite the pain it caused.

"My knights in shining armour," I said wryly and they grinned at me.

* * *

When I returned from Recovery Girl with a kiss and a scolding for allowing my quirk to get the better of me, I found the class waiting with Midoriya and Yaoyorozu standing at the front, probably for voting in the other class positions.

Mina waved excitedly from her seat. "You're back! Are you feeling better? That was kind of scary right." I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Aizawa-sensei, c-can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked him nervously. I still wasn't sure what to think of what I'd seen, but I had to tell someone. Aizawa was currently wrapped in his sleeping bag on the ground and he gave me an unimpressed look for a moment before surveying me and nodding.

He stood up, climbing out of his sleeping bag and walked to the door. I followed.

"Continue," he mumbled, with a wave of his hand to the rest of the class as we left the room.

Once we were out in the hallway, I struggled, trying to figure out what to say. Afterwards, the teachers had said it was just the media breaking in, but I couldn't get the vision out of my head, the gate, turned to ash. And the shadow in the staff room.

"What's wrong, Himori?" Aizawa asked as he looked down at me. His eyes, although tired, were watching me with a serious look, and I was thankful that meant he would probably listen to what I said.

"Just before the alarm sounded, when everyone was at lunch. I had a vision. There was a hand and it touched this gate and just… turned it to dust." Aizawa watched me for a moment before he turned to look out the window on the other side of the hallway. I turned to see what he was looking at and blanched.

The front gate to UA was dust on the ground and I noticed the teachers next to it. It hadn't been any random vision. That had happened at UA a mere hour ago.

"That's not the only thing I saw," I rush, the knowledge that the gate happened today at UA spurring me on. "I had a different vision as well. There was this shadow… I think it was in a staff room at UA. I couldn't really figure out what was going on, there were too many other visions, but it was rippling, like it was alive."

Aizawa nodded as he watched me and once again I was thankful he was taking me seriously.

"There's nothing that can be done right now, I will speak with Principal Nezu later on today." I nodded, that was all I could hope for. "We need to return to the classroom now, I don't trust them in there, to be honest." He watched the door with narrowed eyes and I let out a laugh as I followed him back into the room.

"Sensei! The class has chosen to elect me as class representative in place of Midoriya! Is this acceptable?"

"You're wasting time." Aizawa said as he made his way back to his sleeping bag and climbed in. "I don't care what you do, just hurry up and do it." With that he fell back on the floor and went to sleep. Although I noticed he seemed tenser now, then before I had spoken to him.

"If the class rep has nominated me, then it cannot be helped. From this day forth, I, Iida Tenya, promise to do my best to carry out the duties of class representative!"

"We're counting on you, Emergency Exit!" Eijiro exclaimed from his seat and I let out another laugh. I wasn't entirely sure what I had walked in on, but I didn't particularly care at the time anyway. Iida ended up as class rep, just like I had voted so I was pleased enough as I made my way back to my seat.

When I returned to my seat, Shoto was watching me. No doubt he was wondering about my exchange with Aizawa. I just shook my head at him, too mentally drained to bother right now. He nodded, but I could tell he was still thinking about it.

When class finished later, Shoto immediately turned to me and I sighed before glancing around the room. After ensuring that nobody was listening I spoke quietly to him.

"I saw a vision, a couple actually, during lunch." I hesitated for a moment but Shoto just watched me calmly, so I continued. "I don't think what happened was an accident with the media. Someone… _destroyed_ the gate, turned it to dust. And… there was this _thing_ in the staff room. Whatever happened, it wasn't an accident."

Shoto just watched me calmly for a few seconds, giving no outward reaction to the news. Despite myself it calmed me to see him not worried, or at least not showing it.

"Whatever it was, the teachers will handle it, and it doesn't concern us, nor should it concern us." I frowned as he stood up and grabbed his bag. He was probably right, the teachers would look after it, I'd told Aizawa and I didn't need to worry anymore.

"You really think so?" I asked him as I also stood and grabbed my bag, trying to ignore the childish hope in my voice.

I noticed something in his eyes that I couldn't identify as Shoto merely nodded at me before he turned to walk out the door. He paused when he saw me standing there silently, watching him and quirked an eyebrow.

I quirked one right back. Was he asking me to walk with him?

Shoto huffed out a breath before he gestured towards the door with his head and I smiled. Yes, that was him asking me to walk with him.

I followed him down the hallway and observed him. He was staring straight ahead, he didn't seem to be showing any signs of worry about my vision, so I believed him.

He was right, it would probably be fine.

* * *

 **This chapter ended up with a lot more Shoto/Mirai in it than originally intended but I guess I can't complain if it feels natural for them to have little interactions like that in class. Anyway.**

 **Next up! The start of USJ!**


	8. Don't expect the expected unexpected

**Excited for the USJ arc to begin! Although it will probably be different to what everyone expects.**

* * *

I woke up exhausted the next morning, my head swarming with nightmares, a small pounding present as well.

 _Lights shattered, a dark shadow surrounded me. I saw Thirteen, the Space Hero, laying on the ground, his suit ripped. A fountain sputtered._

I had seen a lot of dreams, or visions, last night and I lay there for a moment trying to see if I could distinguish between what was just a dream and what was reality. Some of the things I'd seen though… it made no sense.

Sleep pulled at me again and before I could fall back asleep I crawled out of bed and made my way down to the kitchen. _Time to start the day, I guess._

* * *

When I made my way into the classroom I paused by Mina's desk and spoke with her and the boys.

 _It's nice_ , I thought as I sat on the edge of Mina's desk. _I feel like I can really relax when I'm with them_. I yawned loudly and Sero gave me an inquisitive look from his desk.

"You alright there, Mirai? You look really tired."

"I'm fine, I just had trouble sleeping last night. I had a lot of visions."

Mina grew excited at that and looked like she was going to bounce out of her chair as she looked up at me. But before she could ask anything Iida interrupted us.

"Himori! The desks are not an appropriate place to sit! Please return to your seat before class starts!"

The boys snickered and Mina looked down with a giggle as I hopped off the desk with a sigh.

"Sorry, Iida," I said with a grin, as I made my way to my seat.

Classes that morning were pretty boring and I tried to stay awake, although I yawned quite regularly.

"Are you okay, Mirai? You look so tired. Did you sleep at all last night?" Ochaco whispered to me and I smiled at her and gave her a nod, glancing forward to make sure Iida wasn't going to notice.

"It's fine, I just didn't sleep as much as I wish I had." She nodded, seeming to accept my excuse before turning to the front again. _Sheesh, I must look like a zombie_ , I thought, with how many people were asking if I was alright.

I yawned again and let my cheek rest on my hand as I stared out the window. I really should be paying attention, but English was surprisingly my best class. I don't know why I picked it up so easily, and Present Mic was currently yammering on about phrasing or something as I zoned out and stared through the window.

Shoto caught my attention as he sat there, listening to the teacher and I frowned at him. He hadn't acknowledged me at all today, not when I walked into the room, not even between classes. It shouldn't have been that surprising, since that was how majority of the last three months had gone. But over the week he had actually interacted with me far more than normal. I'd almost grown used to him giving me a nod in the morning or communicating silently through just eyebrows.

He obviously felt my stare because his eyes slid towards me.

I turned my attention away immediately and attempted to control my blush. _How come when he stared at me he could keep his cool?_ I sighed. Shoto continued to watch me from the corner of his eye and I ignored him and the tightening in my chest as I thought about our relationship.

Somehow, our complicated relationship had become even more so since we started at UA together. I didn't know if it was the forced interaction or always having him in such close proximity, but I had a moment of being almost sad that our engagement wouldn't last. I quickly shook off the thought though. That was ridiculous, and it made no sense. It was a forced relationship that was currently mutually beneficial, and once school was over I might never see him again anyway.

It all made me wonder though. I had blocked off visions of Shoto weeks ago, but perhaps now that we went to school together it would be alright if I had a peek…

Hesitantly, I allowed the barricade I'd put up between me and visions of Shoto to lift. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt much, but since it had been blocked off for so long, several things flashed through my mind.

 _Shoto's back as he walked away from me._ _Sitting at lunch and noticing him watching from a distance before we both looked away from each other. Shoto and I walking down the hall together, holding hands. I laughed at something and he gave me a small smile before he leant down to ki-_

I let go of the visions with a shout and realised that I'd actually fallen out of my chair in the effort to remove myself from the vision.

 _Holy shit._

The class stopped and turned to me for a moment, wondering what the hell I'd managed to do and Shoto stared down at me from his desk with a bewildered look.

I immediately looked away from him as my cheeks turned a firetruck red, yet again. _What was that? I can count the amount of times I've seen him smile on one hand, and why were we holding hands? Where we really about to…?_ I pulled myself off the ground and back into my chair as the class laughed.

"Mirai!" Ochaco whispered as she held her hands over her face in an attempt to hide her giggles. The rest of the class was less successful.

"Heeyyy, Himori, what are you doing?! I'm trying to teach a class up here!" Present Mic called from the front while he waved a piece of chalk around madly.

"S-sorry, sensei! I just… saw something I didn't expect."

The class's laughter died off as they returned their attention to the front and I stared down at my desk, trying to make sense of things.

I knew Shoto was watching me from his seat but I ignored him as I looked determinedly down at my hands. Staring fixedly at the wrinkles and creases. These were all potential futures because of the path we were on right then, it didn't necessarily mean anything. But the fact that there was a potential future where Shoto and I were together gave me a feeling in my stomach that I didn't really understand.

I felt another yawn come on and tried to stifle it. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

By the time lunch came around, I had a sick feeling in my stomach, like I'd swallowed a bunch of rocks and it was weighing me down. It felt like dread, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong, perhaps it was just the dreams from last night.

I wasn't allowed to mope in my own thoughts, however. As soon as I sat down, I was pulled into conversation by Sero. We spoke about what we thought Hero Training might be this afternoon. We teased Denki, who was wondering whether he could ask out the girl who sat a few tables away. Apparently he was oblivious to the fact that she was obviously upset about something before he approached her, and her answer was of course, no. Over the lunch period, the daunting feeling I had eased a little and I managed to relax somewhat.

Of course that feeling came back once we were on the bus to go to our hero basic training that afternoon. Rescue training at an off campus location.

Given what Aizawa had said in class, I assumed that the lesson was originally only meant to be one or two teachers, but they had added more as a precaution. It made my stomach twist, but I tried to ignore it. I was really getting sick of this ill feeling as I lay back against my seat on the bus.

I was sitting next to Midoriya, facing sideways, after poor Iida's attempt at an organised bus had failed miserably. He was currently bracing his arms on his legs as he looked down in disappointment and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Uh, H-Himori, are you okay?" A voice asked me and I turned to look at Midoriya who was watching me with wide-eyed, genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep much last night, too many visions." I said for what felt like the eighth time that day, but I gave him a smile to know it was okay that he'd asked.

"Visions? I've been meaning to ask you actually… your visions, how far in advance can you see? Does you viewing the future interfere with it much? I'm assuming so based on what I was told about your battle training the other day. How long can you stay in a vision? Is it just flashes or entire scenes...?"

Midoriya kept talking, his words turning into a furious mumble storm as his thoughts turned inwards in regards to my quirk. I blinked at him, totally thrown. _He really thought about people's quirks a lot_.

I admired that, I'd seen how it could benefit him in his battle against Bakugo. His intellect was impressive, I couldn't help but be jealous. My fighting style involved analysing people's moves as well since it was necessary. But considering Midoriya's quirk was a power augmentation it wasn't completely necessary for him to learn early on, yet he had.

"Hmm, it kind of changes, there's still a lot of training I need to do with my quirk in order to master it. But in general if I look for a vision the furthest I usually see is a week, maximum, but it takes a lot of strain. Obviously some things are harder to predict than others and I can't see that far. I also have dream visions, and such. And those ones are sometimes years away, but I can never tell how far away one is."

"Years? Interesting, I wonder if it's your quirks way of controlling it from becoming too powerful, like a safety switch for you. If you can see things so far away it would make sense that you no longer have the option to either search for specific things or be able to tell when it occurred." Midoriya continued talking rapidly and I noticed some of the class was zoning in. I nodded, considering what he'd said. It did make sense. But it was something I wanted to work on, after all, if I could find out when some of those things happened I could perhaps help stop them from occurring.

"Mirai?" A voice spoke, cutting off Midoriya who was continuing to mumble to himself, looking in deep thought. I turned to Asui, who was on the other side of him.

"Yes, Asui?"

"Call me Tsuyu. What was it that you saw in your visions last night?"

I paused, trying to figure out what to say. I figured I may as well tell them the truth, even if I kept some parts hidden.

"I saw us, our class, fighting villains. I think it must have been on our internships, but I don't know what semester."

"Ehh?!"

"Really, Mirai? How cool! I'm so excited to eventually go on internships! We're going to kick butt!"

I tried to smile at them as the class responded, but I felt like it was unsuccessful. It hadn't felt like a very co-ordinated effort on our part in my visions last night, which had me worrying about the circumstances. But I didn't say anything, after all, no need to scare them unnecessarily when it could be years away.

"Yeah, I see a lot of visions in my dreams, it means I generally have trouble sleeping, but I've gotten used to it."

"So, Mirai," Denki called from the other side of the bus and I saw a smirk on his face. My eyes narrowed. "You wearing a wedding ring in some of those visions?"

In the corner of my eye, I saw Shoto sitting near the back of the bus with his eyes closed, twitch. _Huh, so he was pretending to sleep yet again_. Mina burst out giggling across from me and I gave Denki a hard look.

"I don't know, Kaminari, I'm seeing a vision of you with no hair, so you tell me." I said flatly and he paled. I smiled at him, letting him know he was safe. Probably.

I zoned out of the conversation for a while as my thoughts turned inward. I wondered about what Midoriya had said. Was it perhaps a safety barrier that stopped me from seeing too far without repercussions? What would happen if I forced myself to see more with visions? Or more importantly, what would happen if they overwhelmed me and I couldn't stop them? It was yet another thing to consider.

I hated that I felt so unprepared with my quirk when we'd arrived at UA. Sure, I had good control in certain aspects, but with what had happened at lunch yesterday, you couldn't say that I had it all under control.

I knew there were a lot of other people who had downsides to their quirks that they hadn't learnt to manage yet. Midoriya, for example. Every time he'd used his quirk that I'd seen he hurt himself. At least I was better than that.

A shout shook me from my thoughts and I turned to Bakugo yelling as he stood up from his seat.

"What the hell! You wannna fight?!" He yelled at, was that Tsuyu who'd pissed him off?

"See?" She said to the class in response and I assumed that was a yes. Amusement grew in me as I watched.

"We haven't known each other that long, so it's amazing that everyone already knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage."

Silence for a moment, before I burst out laughing loudly, clutching my sides. _What the hell was that, Denki? How long have you been holding on to it?_

"What's with that vocabulary, bastard?! I'll kill you." Bakugo continued to shout and I continued to laugh, the tension easing from me every moment. Denki just shrugged at Bakugo's anger and it kept my mirth alive.

The two continued to argue, or could it just be banter? And I noticed Midoriya next to me looking disturbed by the turn of events. Before I could say anything though, Aizawa announced that we were here from the front.

The class died down as excitement grew. I couldn't help but also feel excited. Rescue training was going to be interesting. I could be extremely useful, or extremely useless, depending on the type of disaster, and I was eager to try out a few ideas.

We filed out of the bus and into a parking lot and I looked up at the structure in front of us. It looked huge. If I was correct, it was the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, which was a building filled with enclosed areas with different rescue scenarios.

"Everyone, I've been waiting for you." I turned to the new voice and froze. It was the Space Hero, Thirteen. Everybody around me reacted excitedly and I would have as well, Thirteen was an incredible hero. If it wasn't for the fact that I was remembering what I'd seen last night.

 _I saw Thirteen, the Space Hero, laying on the ground, his suit ripped._

I swallowed the lump in my throat. It wasn't pleasant, knowing at some point in the future Thirteen would be defeated. He wasn't a hero who went into combat often either which made it more disturbing. But I shook my head to clear it. That vision could be months, years, away. I shouldn't worry about it now.

"Let's go inside without delay." Thirteen continued and I followed him and the rest of the class inside slowly, trying to ignore the sick feeling in my stomach that was once again rising.

The class gaped in awe at the complex and I couldn't help but agree with them, it was even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Thirteen described the place.

"A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, etcetera." He spoke, pointing to different locations, some contained in smaller domes. "It is a training ground that I made with different types of accidents and disasters. It's called the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint', or 'USJ' for short!"

Aizawa walked up to Thirteen to speak with him and I closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing as my heartrate began to spike. The feeling of dread was returning and with it was a dull ache forming in my head.

Thirteen returned his attention to the class and I tried to listen but I couldn't understand what he was saying. My head was growing fuzzy and I thought I may throw up.

"Hey, Mirai, are you alright?" I don't even know who spoke, too preoccupied with the nauseous feeling I had and the pain growing in my head.

"I don't feel so good." I muttered in response and took a step away from the group. My stomach was churning. _What was causing this? Why did I feel like something terrible was going to happen?_ Along with the pain, I could feel a pressure in my head, like when there was something significant occurring, but I couldn't quite reach the visions.

I took a few more steps away from the group in an effort to get some fresh air or something. Maybe I was just nervous about the exercise and needed to calm down, I thought deliriously.

I felt eyes on me, probably Aizawa wondering what the hell I was doing, as Thirteen continued to talk. I took a deep breath and stared out across the huge area.

This place really was enormous, each section was large enough to house an entire separate disaster, there were even miniature mountains in here. And in the middle was a courtyard area with a fountain in the ce-

A fountain. _The_ fountain.

It was the same fountain that I'd seen in my dreams last night.

How could I not have realised?

I assumed the visions I saw were all from the future because none of it made sense, everyone was in different locations; water, mountains, and blizzards. _But it was all here at USJ_. The sick feeling in my stomach increased tenfold as I took a huge step back. I cut Thirteen off as he continued to talk about something that I really didn't care for right then.

"Sensei! We need to get out of here, right now!"

The class turned to me in surprise and there were a few exclamations of shock before they were silenced by Aizawa.

"What is it, Himori?" He asked.

"I-I saw this place last night, in my dreams. There was- we need to get out _right now_!"

Eijiro, Midoriya and Denki spoke up.

"Wait, your dreams last night?"

"B-but you said we were fighting villains?!"

"I thought you said that was us on internships later on in the year?!"

"Enough." Aizawa spoke as he scanned USJ. "Everyone, outside now!"

Thirteen started ushering the students towards the door and I was so thankful that they were listening to me. I began to follow them. We'd barely made it half way there though when the lights flickered, then they went out.

Pain exploded in my head, unlike anything I'd ever felt before as I was attacked by visions. I screamed so loud my voice cracked.

"Mirai!"

"Himori! What's wrong?"

I couldn't respond, I couldn't focus. All I could feel was blinding pain in my head as I stumbled and fell to my knees, holding my head in my hands.

 _Ojiro. Surrounded by flames and villains. Two villains rushed at Koda who stood helplessly in an alleyway and a shadow rushed at them. A hand stretched towards a face, Asui. Skin crumbled. I heard screams, I saw lightning. Denki, being held up by a villain. There was the crunch of bone and a shout of pain. A monster stood in front of me, its eyes bulging and its brain visible. A pool of blood stretched out from someone lying motionless on the floor._

The pain was excruciating, unlike anything I'd ever felt before and I felt liquid dripping from my nose. I didn't know if it was blood or if I'd started crying from the images I saw. So much was happening, I couldn't control it. I screamed again and heard my name being called.

I could see the class in my mind's eye, frozen in terror as they watched me. They weren't going to the exit. They needed to leave.

"Go! Get out!" I shouted at them.

Someone knelt in front of me and I could feel them feeling along the side of my visor before they pressed a button. The button that should nullify my quirk.

Nothing happened.

I heard a whiring sound before what sounded like something breaking, and the smell of smoke. It hadn't worked. My quirk was reacting too strongly.

"Shit. It's not working." A familiar tenor muttered above me, almost drowned out by my continual screaming.

The pain wasn't going away, it was increasing. I screamed again, gripping on to the person in front of me.

"Sensei! Her quirk!" A voice spoke again, it sounded so far away. Was that Yaoyorozu?

Suddenly the visions disappeared. The pain didn't stop. It dampened slightly and I managed to muffle my screams against one of my hands as I fell forward into the person in front of me. I could hear people talking again.

"What happened to her? Was that her quirk?"

"What was she seeing?"

"We need to get out of here!"

"Guys, by the fountain, what is that?"

I could feel everything slipping away, I tried to fight it but I knew it was a losing battle. My head hurt, my eyes hurt.

"We need to get out." I whispered hoarsely to the person I was leaning against. I couldn't even open my eyes to look at them as I felt everything fading.

The last thing I felt was a cool hand cupping my face before everything disappeared.

* * *

 **Well, that was exciting!**

 **I've got an even bigger surprise for you guy's next chapter.**

 **Ooohh the drama. I'm sorry if anyone thinks it's melodramatic, but I feel that this is how it would play out if it were an actual storyline. I mean, the stuff she would be seeing is horrifying when she's a few days into her first year of high school, and the amount of key events and simple decisions that would happen at USJ would be crazy. Hopefully you guys don't mind it being a bit intense, but if it wants to fit the show that's how I view it. And I enjoyed writing it!**


	9. The price

**This is a bit shorter sorry, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

* * *

 _I remember the first time Shoto saw me having one of my unexpected visions._

 _It was our fourth meeting. Our third time meeting at the park._

 _Just like I had said I would, the week before I had brought my book along with me and we had sat in silence while he slept against the tree. I sat on the ground near him with my book in my lap and remember wondering about his sleeping schedule. How tired must he be? How little sleep must he get to just want to sleep in the afternoons? I had spoken a few times but he hadn't responded and the two hours had passed in silence._

 _The next week turned out quite different, although it started very similar. Shoto was already at the tree when I got to the park and I called out a greeting to him._

 _He didn't respond._

 _I sighed before sitting down and pulling out my homework. I needed to study both for my upcoming finals and the entrance theory exam for UA. Even though they were both a while away I needed all the help I could get. Plus my training schedule was increasing with workouts and I couldn't afford to let that get in the way._

 _I wondered if Shoto had homework he needed to work on, and what he did on the afternoons that weren't spent on the park. So I asked him._

 _"If you didn't have to meet up with me at the park, what would you be doing?"_

 _He didn't respond. I felt a faint blush as I realised him napping meant he wouldn't hear a word I said. That didn't stop me from continuing to speak though._

 _"If I weren't here, I'd probably be training or studying, but that's pretty boring so if I had free time I'd probably go to the markets down the street. There's a vendor there with_ the best _chicken karaage I've ever had. I'd get some this afternoon but I'm supposed to be saving money." I sighed. "Oh well."_

 _I continued working on my homework silently before the frustration that was mathematical equations got to me._ Why was this a thing I needed to learn? Was I going to have to solve for x in order to rescue some hostages as a hero?

 _"You know what I can't stand?" I said suddenly, and quite loudly I realised when Shoto actually jolted and his eyes opened to look at me. He appeared annoyed that I had disturbed his nap but I didn't let it bother me, my passionate hatred was driving me forward. "Quadratic formulas. They make no sense. And they're unnecessary. I'm not going to need them as a hero, all they do is give me nightmares. If there's a villain who uses maths to trick the heroes trying to stop him I am going to_ kick his _-"_

 _I was cut off by a vision before I could continue my rant and threat towards imaginary villains._

A man rounded the corner of the park at a run. His arm extended towards us like it was rubber and yanked Shoto's bag from the ground next to him. He took off running, bag under his arm.

 _Shit. I thought as I scanned the area around us. Was that going to happen now? It had to be. I wouldn't have seen it if it was next week. I glanced at Shoto who was watching me with curious eyes._

 _Suddenly the man rounded the corner._

 _I lunged for the bag. Grabbing the handle not a moment too soon as his hand shot out and grabbed the other side. I gave a yelp as he pulled on the bag and I was dragged forward a couple of steps. The guy was much stronger than me, I couldn't hold it._

 _Suddenly an arm wrapped around my waist to hold me steady and a hand reached out and touched the arm of the guy holding the bag. He gave a yell as ice crawled up his arm and he let go of the bag, looking down at his hand in surprise. He glanced up to look at us before cursing and running away._

 _The rest of the park watched him run but nobody did anything. They all probably figured causing a fuss was more trouble than it was worth, and the only people likely to get in trouble if heroes or the police turned up were me and Shoto for using our quirks. As annoying as it was, the perp would be long gone._

 _The arm around my waist disappeared as Shoto took a step back, I let go of the bag, allowing him to take it with him. I turned to see him watching me, his expression unreadable._

 _"You saw him coming, didn't you? That's why your eyes turned white."_

 _I nodded silently, still feeling the adrenaline of what just happened._ That was a close one _, I thought._

 _"I've never seen you use your power before, I'm surprised." I said and Shoto merely shrugged before turning his head to look at where the would-be bag snatcher had disappeared._

 _"I like this bag." He replied simply and I let out a small laugh at that._

 _"Glad I could help then." I grinned at him, surprised by our bonding moment._

 _Shoto looked down at me for a moment with his empty expression before turning back to the tree and sitting down against it again. I noted though that he kept a hand on his bag now._

 _"Thank you," he said before his eyes closed and he was gone from the conversation._

 _I sighed as I sat back down next to him and returned to my maths homework next to my unusual fiancée. I felt a sense of pride though that I had managed to stop the guy. It made the maths seem less daunting as I focused on what would come after it._

 _I couldn't wait to learn to be a hero._

* * *

A rocking sensation brought me into consciousness and I groaned at the pain in my head. It felt like someone had pulled my brain out and stomped on it a few times before giving it back with nothing but an 'oops, my bad'.

My groan caused the rocking sensation to stop and I tried to take in my surroundings through feelings alone, too tired to try and open my eyes. I was resting against something hard and there were hands wrapped around my thighs. I assumed somebody was carrying me on my back as I tried to get the strength to look for myself and I let out another groan.

"You're awake." A voice said and the hard surface against my front vibrated with the noise, confirming my suspicions.

"Shoto?" I asked hoarsely, recognising the voice. My throat hurt, probably from screaming. Shoto was carrying me on his back, but why? "What happened?"

"You passed out." He responded and the slight rocking motion resumed, I assumed he'd started walking again. "Villains attacked USJ just after you did. One of them had a warp quirk and transported us to the landslide zone."

 _No_.

"My visions… this is what I saw… it's happening." I hid my face in Shoto's shoulder, trying to get control of my emotions. I had seen all this, I knew it was going to happen. But I hadn't stopped it. "I didn't stop it. I should have realised… should have gotten us out before."

I couldn't believe I'd screwed up this bad. And now people might die. I recalled some of the things I'd seen.

"It isn't your fault. There's no way to have known that this would happen today. We were all unprepared. You gave us warning of what was going to happen though, which was better than nothing."

I didn't believe his words but I didn't argue with him. If only I had stopped it…

But I couldn't change that now, I just needed to help as much as I could right now.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"We're heading back towards the middle. Aizawa-sensei was fighting the villains by himself before we were warped away."

Aizawa. I remembered the vision of him. His body lying broken on the ground. "We should hurry, he can't stay there long. He needs our help." I noted that Shoto's grip on my thighs tightened before he seemed to pick up the pace.

So much was happening, I worried about the other classmates. _Where were they? Have they gone to the places I'd seen some of them in the visions? Would they be alright?_ I was so anxious but I tried to control it. _They were in the hero course for a reason, they'd be okay_.

The dread didn't go away though.

I gave another groan of pain as my head gave another throb and my eyes stung. Deciding I'd avoided the inevitable for long enough I opened my eyes.

And saw nothing.

Panic bloomed in my chest as I lifted my hand quickly to my visor and pressed the button that would bring my eyesight back. It had probably been bumped to on earlier when I was seeing the visions and I hadn't noticed. I pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

I pressed it again. And again. And again. The panic in my chest was growing stronger and I tried to control my breathing. I couldn't see. _Why couldn't I see?_

"Shoto…" I whispered and he didn't respond, at least not directly.

"As long as we don't run into any villains it should only take us five minutes to get ba-"

"Shoto!" I said again, more loudly, my voice cracking from the strain. I could feel tears building in my eyes and I tried to hold them back. "I can't see."

The movement stopped again. "What do you mean you can't see?" He asked in a hard voice.

"I mean I can't see anything! I- I-… there's nothing."

I swallowed against the bubbling hysteria in my throat.

My eyesight was gone.

* * *

 **Boom. Sorry.**

 **I kept it shorter for dramatic effect, sorry, but hopefully you enjoyed it, and the little flashback regardless. Thank you for the continued support guys!**


	10. Unforeseen USJ

_My eyesight was gone._

Shoto pulled me from his back where I was frozen in shock and sat me down on the ground. I could feel that I was sitting on a rock and I heard him kneel down next to me.

This couldn't be happening. How could this happen? Was this what the pain lead to? Was this the limit of my quirk? Was my eyesight gone forever?

My breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to control myself but I knew it was no use. I could feel the tears I'd been trying to hold back spill over as Shoto gently removed my visor from my head.

There was silence for a moment except for my rapid breathing as he looked at me.

"Your eyes are still white, like you're in a vision. But they aren't shining… they look… dull."

I gave a small sob. "I'm not in a vision right now! Why can't I see? Is it permanent? Did I go too far? I can't handle this… I can't…" I felt like everything was closing in on me. _Is this it? Am I now blind?_

"You need to calm down, Mirai." Shoto was speaking so calmly. I wondered how he managed it when we were stuck in a landslide simulation under attack from villains and my eyesight was gone. "There's no way to know if it's permanent or not. You may have just overused your quirk and it's malfunctioning."

I tried to listen to him but I couldn't focus on anything. My head hurt. My eyes were burning. My vision was not miraculously reappearing. Tears continued to fall down my cheeks before two hands cupped my face.

"Mirai. Calm down." Shoto spoke in a hard voice and my breath hitched. "We can't do anything about it right now. I'll take you to Recovery Girl when we get out of here but right now there are villains coming. Do you understand?"

I nodded weakly, whispering a meek "okay". I couldn't hear anything coming but I trusted Shoto's judgement. Finally my breathing slowed and the tears stopped but the pain in my chest didn't disappear.

"Good." Shoto responded before he turned and pulled me onto his back again. I went willingly, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. If he was going to fight villains he needed his hands free so I would have to support myself.

I winced when I moved my ankle, _how did I manage to do that?_ "What happened to my ankle?" I asked, as a secondary thought I realised I may have injuries that I hadn't felt or seen yet.

"You landed on it when we fell out of the portal." He told me and I nodded, feeling dazed at how I got myself into this situation.

"Anything else?"

"No, that was all. You mostly landed on me anyway."

I could feel my face warm at that and I tucked it into his shoulder to hide it. Oops, at least I was unconscious and didn't have to remember it. "Sorry," I whispered, feeling quite embarrassed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You're light and since you were unconscious it didn't hurt much." He replied and adjusted me on his back. Shoto's hero costume was uncomfortable to rest against, with half of it covered in some form of fake ice. But I ignored it, there were bigger priorities right now.

He resumed walking and I allowed my face to rest in the junction between his neck and shoulder as I breathed in and out. I needed to keep calm. I was already vulnerable enough. Right now I couldn't afford to panic.

Footsteps approached us and I heard someone cackle, like we were in a bad cartoon.

"Look what we have here!" An ominous voice spoke. My arms tightened around Shoto as I felt more voices join in to laugh. "Let's get them."

I heard some of them start running at us but before they could even get close the sound of ice building rose quickly and I heard their battle cries turn to shouts of terror as they were undoubtedly frozen in ice. Shoto's right side cooled as it happened and I repressed a shiver.

In moments, the sound of ice building stopped and I knew all the villains were stopped in their tracks.

"It's pathetic to lose against a single child." Shoto drawled in a cold voice. "Get a hold of yourself. You're an adult, aren't you?"

I kept quiet. It was probably best if I didn't draw attention to myself. If the villains' attention was drawn to me and they found a way to exploit my weakness, and Shoto's consequent one of having to carry me, it could go badly.

"'Scatter you and kill you', huh?" He spoke to them and I felt my eyebrows raise in confusion. What was he talking about? Perhaps the villains had spoken to them before the warp quirk guy transported us here. "I hate to say this… but you just look like guys with quirks they didn't know what to do with."

Shoto walked forward towards them and I heard the villains speak.

"Th-this guy… the instant we got here."

"Is he really a kid?"

"O-ow…"

A vision shot into my head. I winced from the pain of my already tender brain

 _A villain lunged at Shoto with a sword, at the same time someone behind us thrust a spear at us._

"One in the front, one behind!" I whispered quickly in Shoto's ear just as I heard someone shout and lunge. I heard ice building and saw in my mind as Shoto froze the guy in front with his foot before whipping around to grab the spear from the person behind us. Ice built up the spear before it froze him in his place and he fell to the ground.

Pain lanced through my head again and I grit my teeth, however I felt hope blossom in my chest. I could still use my visions apparently, even if they hurt right now because of overuse. At least that was something good.

"We actually make an alright team," I quipped quietly to Shoto as he dropped the spear. The news that my quirk still worked had brightened my mood significantly, along with the fact that I knew being with Shoto meant I would be fine. He hummed in acknowledgement rather than saying anything though.

"Your quirk still works?"

I nodded. "It hurts to use right now, but it's definitely still there."

"Try to refrain from using it as much as possible at the moment. You don't want to risk the damage to your eyesight becoming permanent if we can help it." I nodded again even as a frown took over my face. He was right, of course. But if it came down to it, I'd use my quirk in a heartbeat if that's what it took to keep people safe.

"Hey, at this rate, your cells will slowly die." Shoto said and I immediately realised he was talking to one of the villains. "I want to be a hero. I'd like to avoid something so cruel if possible."

Shoto took a few more steps and I heard someone whimpering, probably from the cold. Or from what Shoto was saying.

"On what basis do you think you can kill All Might? What's your plan?"

 _Kill All Might_?

So that was what this was about. I recalled the creature I'd seen in my visions. The horrifying purple monster with its brain exposed. I knew immediately that had something to do with it. But I hadn't realised that was what they were here for. Could it actually kill All Might? I hadn't seen anything about it, but it could be possible. Why else would they have attacked us like this?

It took moments for the villain to start talking. "T-they just found us and told us we were needed as distractions. That they had someone o-or something that could kill him! They didn't fill us in on everything, I don't know anymore. I swear!"

So it was true. They thought they could kill him. I pondered this as Shoto knocked out the villains that hadn't already passed out from the cold and then melted the ice they were encased in. Once the villains were all down for the count Shoto resumed walking, although his pace was getting quicker.

"How did you know they were here to kill All Might?" I asked him.

"Before we were warped away, the guy told us that was why they were here. And his job was to 'scatter and kill' us. I assumed if they went through all the effort to bring them here then they must have something significant." He paused. "Did you see anything about it?"

I nodded. "I didn't know about the All Might thing, but there was something with them. I don't even know if it was human, it looked like a monster. And the vibe I got off of it was scary… we should hurry."

"I am," Shoto huffed and I realised for the first time that him having to carry me was probably having a significant impact on how long it would take to get there. If he didn't have to carry me I was sure he would be running. I was getting in the way, slowing the process.

"You should leave me," I said suddenly and I felt Shoto stumble. His hair brushed my cheek as he turned to look at me. "I'm slowing you down. You'd get there much faster if you weren't carrying me." I replied to his unasked question logically.

"Leaving you by yourself will cause more harm than good. You can't protect yourself. Besides," Shoto paused and I felt him turn back to face the direction we were walking. "My father wouldn't like it if you were hurt."

I huffed in annoyance. I could look after myself. Sure my head was pounding but I could still use my quirk. After all, I had trained to fight with my eyesight shut off so I could focus just on visions. "Who cares what your father thinks." I blurted out and I felt Shoto's shoulders tense.

"I'm not leaving you." He said with finality and he continued walking. I supressed a sigh, knowing it was no use.

* * *

Five minutes later just after we left the landslide zone, we ran into Eijiro and Bakugo. I heard Eijiro call out a greeting.

"Hey Mirai! Todoroki! I'm glad you guys are okay! We haven't seen anyone else yet."

I felt Shoto nod and I had no doubt Bakugo was ignoring the exchange entirely as we kept walking.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked them as we moved quickly.

"Yeah, we're fine. It was awesome! Bakugo and I beat those villains so easily! I felt like a real hero, so manly! How about you guys?" I was about to respond when Eijiro spoke again. "Hey wait, Mirai, what happened to your eyes?"

I flinched, trying to figure out how to explain.

"It doesn't matter right now, we need to move." Shoto interrupted and Eijiro fell silent. I would bring it up soon, but I hadn't really had the opportunity to come to terms with it myself yet. It was likely that I just needed Recovery Girl or someone else with a healing quirk to heal my eyes, but what if it didn't work? Fear swamped me.

I saw another vision at the same time as I finally heard the noise from the centre of USJ.

 _All Might, being held by the monster I'd seen before. Midoriya, encompassed by shadows._ The warp villain, I realised.

I pulled myself off of Shoto's back and stumbled back a step as I shoved him forward.

"Shoto, Bakugo! Go now! They're in trouble!"

It only took a second for them to start running. I heard Shoto call out behind him as their footsteps faded. "Kirishima! Stay with her!"

Eijiro grabbed my arm when I swayed slightly, I had forgotten about my ankle. He asked me if I was okay and I could hear the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, I just hurt my ankle so you need to carry me. But let's hurry."

I could see the visions in my head of Shoto and Bakugo arriving. Eijiro groaned in disappointment. "Damn it! I didn't get to show off!"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," I said to him as we started moving again. Eijiro's determination to get there meant he managed to break into a run while I was on his back. I shouldn't be surprised though, he hadn't been carrying me for long and he'd also done very well on the fitness tests.

We arrived just in time to hear Bakugo threatening the warp gate. Eijiro stumbled to a stop, panting. "His behaviour isn't very hero-like." He said and I could hear the grin in his voice.

A sinister voice spoke. "In addition to capturing them, they're almost all uninjured. Kids these days are amazing. They make the League of Villains look bad." So this was the main villain. I tried to connect him mentally to a physical body from my visions, but I was struggling. "Nomu."

Something, the monster presumably, let out a shriek. I heard the crack of ice and wondered what the hell was going on.

"Even though his body's broken… He's still moving?!"

"Get back everyone!" All Might called out. "What? His quirk wasn't shock absorption?"

"I didn't say that was all he had." The villain gloated. "This is his super-regeneration. Nomu has been modified to take you at 100%. He's a super-efficient human sandbag."

How was that possible? Multiple quirks? What was he? Another vision took over my head and I winced.

 _Nomu, charging at Bakugo, who could do nothing to defend himself_.

"Bakugo, get back!" I shouted but he didn't move.

I leapt off Eijiro's back and ran towards Bakugo. Stumbling from the pain in my ankle. I could see him in my head, just as the villain gave the order for Nomu. My arm stretched towards him and grazed his shoulder.

What felt like an explosion threw me back and I tumbled backwards across the ground from the force. Landing sprawled, I tried to readjust to the change in visions that I was seeing.

"K-Kacchan!"

"Mirai!"

I sat up, rubbing my head. My head hurt and I had no idea what was happening. Was Bakugo alright? I was too late to save him, but the visions had changed just before I was thrown back. All Might?

Footsteps approached me before someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Stop putting yourself in needless danger." I heard Shoto grumble as he pulled me behind him and I ignored it.

I tried to figure out what had happened. Had All Might shoved him out of the way? I could hear Bakugo talking angrily to Midoriya. A voice spoke in the distance.

"Do you not know how to hold back?" The number one pro-hero asked.

"It was to rescue my companions. I had no choice. I mean, earlier, that… that plain looking one. He was about to punch me with everything he had, you know. Violence for the sake of others makes it admirable. Isn't that right, hero?"

I scowled. _Not quite accurate_ , I thought to myself.

"You know what, All Might?" The villain continued. "I'm angry. I'm angry at this world that categorises the same violent acts as heroic or villainous… Deciding what's good and what's bad. What with this 'Symbol of Peace'? You're just a device to repress violence. Violence only breeds violence. The world will know this, once we kill you!"

"That's preposterous." All Might spoke, and I could tell he was also unimpressed with the villains viewpoint. "The eyes of white-colllar criminals like you burn silently. You just want to enjoy this yourself, don't you, you liar?!"

We were in a stalemate. Nobody moved on either side of the courtyard.

"It's three against five." Shoto announced from in front of me and I ignored the impulse to elbow him for excluding me. He was correct though. I would be no help, unless I could predict an attack. But if it were from Nomu it wouldn't make a difference.

"Kacchan already exposed the fog's weakness!"

"These guys are crazy… But if we backup All Might… we can push them back!"

"No!" All Might called from off to the side somewhere. "Run away."

"You would have been in trouble if I hadn't done anything earlier, right?" Shoto asked and I could tell he was raring to go.

"That was a different story, young Todoroki. Thanks. But it's fine. Just watch as a pro gives it everything he's got." Frustration made my eyes burn even more with angry tears. I couldn't see anything, and when I used my quirk to see it made the headache worsen. I felt useless.

"All Might, you're bleeding… besides, time's- !" Midoriya cut himself off. I wondered what he was talking about. What did time have to do with anything?

"Nomu, Kurogiri. Get him. I'll deal with the children." I saw another vision.

 _The villain who'd spoken, his hand trapping Bakugo's fist as he swung at him. I watched as Bakugo's skin started to crack and crumble and he yelled._

"Don't let him touch you!" I shouted.

More visions came through, I wanted to ignore them but at the moment they were my only visual aide in this fight. _Kirishima swung at the villain and he dodged. Shoto sent ice after him and his hand reached out and the ice cracked and disappeared._ He was fast.

Shoto shoved me further backwards behind him and I let him, moving further backwards. If I let the villain get near me all I would be to the others is a hindrance.

Before anything could happen though, the visions changed and I had just enough warning to shout before everyone was blown back by a huge wind force.

It felt like a hurricane had been released inside the building and I tried to find something to grip on to. I knocked into someone and heard them growl.

"Out of the way, blue girl!" Bakugo shoved me to the side but I was able to get a grip on the ground as the wind continued to beat at us.

"A head-on fist fight?" Midoriya asked in surprise. I hadn't expected it either. But I could see where it was leading, visions flashing through my head. If All Might overloaded the shock absorption, he could land some solid hits.

"Just watch!" I shouted over the gale and bent my head so that there was less surface area for the wind to push against.

Sure enough, I soon heard a huge bang over the wind and the ground shook as All Might sent the creature, Nomu, into the earth. Before he was immediately smashed into the air, breaking through the top of the USJ complex and out into the sky above.

The ground shook again from the force and I couldn't help but be awed at what had just happened. I couldn't see it properly, but even knowing he had succeeded was incredible. There was a reason All Might was the number one hero.

"Is this some comic book?" Eijiro asked in equal awe. "It's like he nullified the shock absorption. His brute strength was crazy."

"What insane power…" I heard Bakugo reply. "Does this mean he rushed at him so fast he couldn't regenerate?"

I stood up slowly. _How could any hero ever take over his mantle?_ He was insane, unbeatable.

I heard him speaking to the remaining two villains. "Now, villains... I'm sure… we'd all like to end this as soon as possible."

 _Yeah_ , I thought as my head continued to throb. _That would be nice_.

"What's wrong?" All Might spoke again. "You're not coming? You said you'd 'clear' this or something, right? Come and get me if you can."

"As expected," Shoto said from somewhere near me. "It looks like there is no need for us to fight."

It seemed that way, but something was wrong. I could feel it. I tried to reach for it with my visions and winced from the pain, it felt too far away, I couldn't get a hold of it.

"We should get out of here now!" Eijiro called. "It'll be worse if we end up getting taken hostage instead!" I agreed with him, but I hesitated.

I heard footsteps approach me before a cold hand grabbed my arm. "We need to get out of here," Shoto murmured to me. "All Might has it covered."

I nodded but didn't move. I couldn't reach the visions but I knew I was missing something. I clenched my teeth against the pain and yanked.

 _Several villains launched themselves at Bakugo and Eijiro who met them. Shoto pulled me out of the way and sent ice charging at the villains. The main two villains rushed at All Might, but he didn't move. Instead in a puff of smoke he exploded and in his place was…_

Holy shit.

I could hear Eijiro talking about the villains rising behind us. Shoto's grip on my hand tightened and he called out to Midoriya.

I could see it. If nobody did anything… if we didn't stop them.

"Midoriya! Go!" I shouted and I heard his gasp, before I felt wind blow my hair across my face and I knew he was gone.

"Midoriya!" Eijiro shouted and the pain in my head exploded yet again.

This was the most I'd ever used my quirk. Nothing in training, not the entrance exam, not the battle simulation, had prepared me for dealing with this amount. But I owed it to my class. I'd seen this coming last night and hadn't stopped it. I was the reason the villains got the drop on us. If only I had realised.

I was useless.

I tried to reach my visions, but there was nothing but pain left. I couldn't see anything.

A shot rang out and I heard Shoto, Eijiro and Bakugo all gasp.

More shots rang out.

"The heroes are here!" Eijiro yelled in excitement and I could have collapsed in relief if Shoto's hand wasn't holding me up.

"Sorry everyone!" A voice called out and I recognised it as Principal Nezu. "Sorry we're late! I gathered all who were immediately available!"

I sank to the ground, yanking Shoto's hand from my arm in the process. Everything happened pretty quickly after that.

* * *

After the teachers secured the facility, Shoto had helped me up to the front gate and I sat on the ground, just outside the facility listening to the police sirens and other vehicles arrive.

An ambulance was supposed to be arriving soon to take me to the hospital but I would have to wait as the first one had been reserved for Aizawa, who was not in a good state. I felt like another rock settled in my stomach when I heard that he had been severely injured in the fight. Yet another person I failed.

Midoriya and All Might were still inside the facility, they were to be treated by Recovery Girl later on apparently, but not me. I was being sent to the hospital.

I cradled my face in my hands as I waited. The class was behind me as they were slowly brought out of the facility as well and I could feel their eyes on me. I knew Shoto was standing silently by my side as well. His hand was resting on my shoulder, but he couldn't do anything to comfort me. Even if he had wanted to.

My head was throbbing, my eyes ached. It hurt to think but thinking was the only thing I could do. Would the hospital be able to heal it? If they could, what did this mean for me being a hero? If they couldn't, what did it mean for my future?

I lifted my head again and opened my eyes to test them again.

"Anything?" Shoto asked quietly from my side and I shook my head. It wasn't returning naturally. I felt the tears coming and didn't have the energy to stop them. Who cares if I cried? I certainly didn't right then. Shoto's grip on me tightened.

I could hear the class behind me. Some of them were still in shock over what had happened, others were starting to come out of it.

"What's wrong with Himori?"

"I don't know. All I know is they're taking her to the hospital."

"I'm worried, I haven't seen her since she passed out before it happened. Do you think something's wrong with her? Was it her quirk?"

"Todoroki hasn't left her side since the heroes turned up. It must be something bad."

I tuned out the voices, bringing up my hand to rub at my damp cheeks and tried to think of something else. Anything else.

I wondered if my mother had seen me right then, if she would have thought my future was still bright. Or if she could also see my dreams fading away.

* * *

 **The second half of this chapter was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I contemplated changing it so that Mirai left the landslide zone with Hagakure but I'm glad I managed to stick with it in the end. Hopefully you enjoyed it and the next chapter has a few more upbeat moments!**


	11. Rest and Recover

**This ended up being a very big chapter, over twice as long as anything I've posted yet! But I'm sure you guys don't mind. It kind of branches between the season one finale and the first OVA (which I will be doing guys, so if you haven't watched them – which I recommend anyway – you should but it also really doesn't matter that much, you can just pretend I made it up when I really didn't). So yeah, this chapter covers a LOT and there will be some minor timeline changes but that's fine. Enjoy!**

* * *

I focused my eyes on the sign in front of me and read it out, just as the doctor asked.

"E. F, P. T, O, Z. L… P… E… O…" I let out an aggressive sigh, venting my frustration. "I can't read anything past that, it's too blurry." I knew I was pouting but I didn't particularly care.

The doctor gave me an encouraging smile anyway though. "You've actually healed really well. I'm quite impressed." She said as she marked a few things on the file she was holding. "You'll need another treatment, this afternoon probably, before we release you tonight. But I expect your eyesight to recover fully. You'll have to come back in a week for a check-up though, and I can't speak for what's going to happen from the continued use of your quirk."

I grinned at her, feeling ecstatic despite the caution she brought with her. Of course, it was no surprise that I needed to be wary of my quirk now, it was something I fully intended on working on once I got out of the hospital.

It had been three days since the villain attack at USJ and I was more than happy to learn I could finally go home tonight. Despite the fact that I spent most of the time at the hospital either sleeping, speaking with visitors and doctors or going upstairs to my mother's room, I was still exhausted. Probably due to the healings I'd had done.

Once the doctors had assessed me, they'd brought in a doctor with a quirk very similar to Recovery Girl, and I'd been having gradual healings ever since.

I had burst into grateful tears after the first one where the doctor had told me afterwards that my eyes had returned to their usual blue colour. I hadn't been able to see much at all, just vague shapes and colours, barely enough to distinguish a person from a wall. But over the next few healings it had gotten better.

Now, after the fifth healing last night, my eyesight was quite good compared to what it was before, but it was still blurry. I couldn't read anything on the walls of the hospital room and making out facial expressions was sometimes difficult. But despite the frustration, I was still glad that it had improved at all.

When they had brought in a quirk specialist to speak with me, he had told me that mental quirks like mine often had side effects such as this. In a way I was glad for what mine was when I heard some of the others. People who could influence emotions could end up with serious mental health illnesses, other quirks had insomnia, multiple personality disorder, dementia, and the list went on.

According to the specialist, because I wasn't used to such strong visions, and because I was trying to subconsciously stop them due to the pain. My quirk had fried my optic nerve, leading to the loss of sight.

"How do I stop it from happening again?" I'd asked, more like demanded of him, once he'd finished explaining. He had shrugged at me.

"I can't confirm it will work, but your best bet is probably to practice with it and strengthen the connection. Like training for an event, but with your quirk. That way you're more likely to handle the power okay." He seemed to ponder it for a moment as I sat in my hospital bed and absorbed every word. "Training the use of your quirk may also help with removing the headaches. If you're used to using it more regularly, you won't get a headache, and you'll be less likely to try and shut off the connection from pain."

I looked down at my hands in my lap. I was gripping the bedsheet tight and it scrunched in my fists. "So what you're saying is I need to learn to ride it out, rather than trying to stop the visions?"

"Yes essentially, although I generally don't like it, I'd suggest you think of the phrase 'no pain, no gain'. You've probably spent years already training with your quirk but with side effects as significant as this you'll want to increase the training. Rather than shying away when you reach the limits, continue forward to stretch them out. Safely, of course."

I nodded at him, biting my lip as I considered it. He left me to my thoughts. I had a lot to figure out.

Since school had been cancelled the day after the incident I had a long weekend to rest. I was surprised when some time before lunch on Friday the first of my many visitors had arrived.

* * *

 _A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts and I turned to squint at the doorway. My eyesight was still poor after my treatment that morning so I could only make out blurry shapes. But I recognised the red, yellow and black hair colours anywhere._

 _"Hi boys," I said and I felt my face light up with a grin. Eijiro, Denki and Sero approached my bed and I noticed vaguely that they were each wearing matching grins._

 _"You're all right! The last time I saw you was when you passed out in Todoroki's arms before the villains attacked!" Denki said in a relieved voice as he took a seat on the edge of my bed, getting comfortable. Eijiro and Sero chose more appropriate spots on the spare chairs in the room._

 _"Yeah that's because you were walking around like a moron when we got out because you'd gone and fried yourself." Sero pointed out and Denki's face turned pink in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head._

 _"Hey I was a hero! Wiped out a bunch of villains beforehand! What did you do?"_

 _"Hey, hey! We're here to see Mirai! Who cares about USJ!" Eijiro interrupted and the others quieted down before looking at me. "How are your eyes?"_

 _I wasn't surprised that they knew. They were probably informed about it in some kind of debrief after I had left in the ambulance. I doubted Shoto had taken it upon himself to fill everyone in but the teachers knew when they organised the ambulance. I wondered what the rest of the class thought._

 _"They're alright. I can see now! But everything is really blurry… the only reason I could tell it was you guys at the door was because of the hair."_

 _They grinned at that before Sero started teasing Denki about the lightning bolt in his hair and they started trading quips at each other._

 _The boys stayed for half an hour before heading out, however, before they did they informed me that the girls were apparently going to stop by soon. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but couldn't help feeling pleased as I watched them leave the room._

 _Sure enough, I'd only been alone for an hour when my door was opened again and I noted five figures in the doorway. Six if you counted the floating clothes that were presumably Hagakure. Something pink threw themselves at me and I let out a huff as Mina landed on me and gave me a crushing hug._

 _"You're okay! We've been so worried! I wanted to talk to you yesterday but you seemed really out of it and Todoroki was glaring at everyone so we left it but I'm so glad you're okay!"_

 _"Mina! She's in a hospital bed. Give her some room!" Yaoyorozu scolded and Mina hopped off me sheepishly._

 _"You look better, Mirai."_

 _"You and Todoroki were so cool yesterday taking on the villains in the landslide area!"_

 _"How are your eyes?"_

 _"We brought you food. Ribbit."_

 _I smiled at them and felt my cheeks ache slightly. I'd spent the time with the boys mostly with an unmoveable grin and that was continuing with the girls. The fact that they could cause such a reaction in me had my cheeks stretching wider and my eyes burning from happy tears._

 _I'd never had friends like this before. People who cared so genuinely about me. Sure in middle school I had friends, but I didn't connect with them. And I hadn't really had the time or care to try, with bigger priorities in mind. The fact that I felt like I'd found a second family in class 1A was something I had never expected._

 _Yesterday had been one of the worst days of my life. Only a few topped it, my father dying, my mother's diagnosis, the day I accepted the betrothal to Shoto – although that one didn't feel as bad anymore in hindsight. To recover from yesterday, and also have so many people surrounding me who cared so much was a new, very happy, feeling._

 _I reached for the bag of food that Jiro was holding with 'gimme' hands and said "food first, answers later". The girls laughed._

 _They didn't stay as long as the boys had, only long enough for us to eat and talk about everything that had happened yesterday._

 _Apparently Hagakure had been in the landslide zone with me and Shoto, something I don't think either of us had realised. Yaoyorozu – or Momo, as she corrected me with a smile – and Kyoko were stuck in the mountains with Denki, who I had already heard about. Mina and Ochaco had stayed at the entrance with Thirteen and helped Iida escape to get help and Tsuyu had been transported to the flood zone. Something I found amusing._

 _"Did Todoroki really carry you the entire way across the landslide zone? He seemed really worried about you after you left in the ambulance. Although it's hard to tell with him. But he definitely seemed more tense than normal." Ochaco spoke and Mina shook her head furiously in agreement._

 _"Yes, he got all prince charming like and picked you up bridal style when you passed out before they attacked! It was so heroic." She sighed dreamily._

 _"What's the deal with you two anyway?"_

 _I flushed at all the comments and tried to think what to say. "Shoto and I's engagement is just an arrangement made by our parents, there's nothing romantic about it." I told them quickly and I saw Momo raise her eyebrows at me knowingly._

 _"Are you_ sure _there's nothing romantic?" Mina asked me slyly and I nodded furiously, my blush increasing._

 _Nothing was going to happen between Shoto and I. Even if I wanted it to, which I didn't. It wasn't going to happen. Shoto had no interest in our betrothal, and I assumed that extended to any type of relationship at the moment. It made sense. And I couldn't allow myself to pine after someone who didn't want anything from me in return._

 _The girls left shortly after that which meant I was stuck with my traitorous thoughts._

 _I'd agreed to the arrangement with Shoto purely so I could help my mother pay for her treatment. But now that that was almost finished, I didn't really have a reason to stick around in the engagement. I also had no reason to end it though, since Shoto planned to do so when we finished school. And I really didn't mind the afternoons we spent hanging out anymore. It was peaceful, cathartic._

 _Guilt began to weigh on me though. Shoto never knew why I accepted the engagement, I hadn't told him. And there'd always been that part of me that felt like I was using him and his family's connections. I thought about how he would react if I told him but I honestly didn't know._

 _My thoughts were broken off by the doctor arriving for my next treatment and I forced it out of my mind._

 _Of course, it was forced back in when a few hours later the next knock on my door occurred and I recognised the red and white hair standing in the frame._

 _The treatment had helped. Enough that when I turned the TV on in the corner of the room I could make out shapes, even if I had no idea what was happening. So my attention had been on it. I'd been playing a guessing game of whether people who appeared were male or female, old or young, to satiate my boredom. Shoto's arrival was a welcome relief despite my thoughts._

 _"Hey," I smiled at him and he made his way into the room. "How are you?"_

 _"Fine," he responded before he held out his hand and I noticed for the first time a container in his hand. Inside I could see chicken karaage._

 _"Oh my god, yum!" I gasped and I snatched it from his hand without a second thought. His face was still blurry but I think his lips twitched._

 _I opened the container and dug in eagerly, moaning around the juicy chicken. Despite only eating a few hours ago the healing had left me starved. I held it out in offering to Shoto but he merely shook his head so I returned it to the safe confines of my lap. It was then that I recognised the container I was eating from._

 _"So you do listen." I saw Shoto turn to me with a questioning look. "Or did you just happen to stop at the chicken karaage place I told you about?" I recalled one of our first meetings where I had mentioned that it was my favourite place to buy it, but I wasn't sure if it was a lucky coincidence or not._

 _Shoto turned his attention to the TV as he responded. "Sometimes I listen. It's hard to sleep when you talk all the time." I ignored the subtle jab. He totally bought me my favourite chicken karaage. "How are your eyes?"_

 _I paused, swallowing the mouthful I had as I looked at his blurry form. "They're alright, everything is still a quite blurry, but it gets better with every treatment. I'm just still thankful at the moment that they've recovered at all." I turned my attention back to the TV which Shoto was continuing to stare at. "By the way I have a question, the person on the left, is it a man or a woman?" The talk show program had been on for a while and although I had guessed man, there had been no actual answer yet. They had short hair, but their voice was neutral._

 _Shoto gave me a bewildered look before frowning at the TV. "Woman." He responded and I sighed in disappointment._

 _"Damn it, I guessed wrong." Shoto sent me another confused look and I just grinned at him._

 _We sat in silence for a while, watching the TV while I finished the chicken off. Once I'd placed the container on the side table I turned to the boy sitting in the chair next to my bed and studied him._

 _I was kind of surprised that he had actually visited, then I felt guilty for not giving him more credit. Shoto was by no means a bad guy, he just had very individual priorities. It made sense that he would visit his fiancée and fellow classmate in hospital when he was the one who had helped make sure I survived yesterday._

 _He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned his attention away from the TV to look at me. We stared at each other for a while before I broke the silence._

 _"Thank you." I said and Shoto raised an eyebrow at me. The unspoken 'what for?' was obvious._

 _"For the chicken firstly," I said with a grin, before my tone grew more somber. "And for keeping me safe yesterday. Even though it was a hindrance to you, you made sure I was okay."_

 _He merely looked at me, meeting my eyes for a while before he nodded and turned back to the TV. I sighed. The guilt was building up in me again and I felt like I was going to burst. I felt like it was probably time._

 _"Shoto," I said and he must have registered my tone because he turned back to look at me again. "I need to tell you, or show you something." His expression didn't change but he nodded, clearly expecting me to continue._

 _I huffed before sitting up to get out of bed. "Are you allowed to be up?" Shoto asked me and I waved him off._

 _"It's fine, I'm only here for my eyes so it's not like I can go tearing stitches by walking around. I'm just thankful they never put me in one of those awful hospital gowns."_

 _I leapt from the bed and stumbled as I got used to being on my own two feet again. I really hated being stuck in bed all day. Every now and then it was a blessing, but in general I was an active person, and I got antsy from being still for so long._

 _I walked towards the door and Shoto stood but didn't follow as he just watched me. I beckoned with my head. "C'mon, I want to show you something."_

 _We walked in silence to the elevator. None of the nurses showed concern at me being up, they knew I was fine, and they probably also knew where we were going. It wasn't until we were in the elevator and I pressed the button that I spoke._

 _"I-…" I hesitated. I knew, logically, that it would be fine. But there was that small part of me that worried that Shoto would react badly to me not telling him. I sighed. "I'm going to show you why I accepted the engagement."_

 _Shoto stiffened beside me before he turned to me with wide eyes which I didn't meet. I tried to prepare a speech in my head for what I was going to say but it was no use, I was clueless._

 _The elevator dinged as the doors opened and I stepped out into the hallway. I knew this path off by heart, having travelled it countless times over the last few months as we rounded the corner and approached the door. I gave a gulp as Shoto kept his eyes on me and I knew that I just needed to get it over and done with. Hesitating would only make it worse. I opened the door and walked in, Shoto following directly behind me before I closed the door again._

 _My mother sat in her bed reading a book but she looked up and smiled brightly at me before her attention turned to the person standing next to me and her eyes widened. I smiled back at her, although it was a little forced, and turned to look at Shoto who was keeping his expression neutral, obviously not knowing what to expect._

 _"Mom, this is Shoto. Shoto, this is my mother."_

 _The moment he realised that we were talking to my mother I saw Shoto's eyes widen imperceptibly before his controlled mask returned. My mother on the other hand, had no problem with expressing her emotions._

 _"Oh finally, Mirai! I've been waiting months to meet him! Wow, you are handsome, it's so nice to meet you. Just call me Hikari." I flushed in embarrassment as my mom babbled but Shoto didn't seem to mind. He held his hand out stiffly to shake my mother's extended hand._

 _"Shoto." Was all he said and my mother grinned before turning to me._

 _"His future is just as bright as yours is sweetheart. No wonder it's worked out so far." I flushed again in mortification, especially since my mother knew that it was a quirk marriage, but that didn't stop her._

 _Shoto turned to look at me out of the corner of his eye and I smiled at him. "I got my quirk from my mom, but hers is different. She gets feelings about people's futures and where they lead. It's a very good thing that she thinks your future is bright." He seemed to accept that as he nodded at my mother._

 _"Thank you," was all he said. I could tell he was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all and uncomfortable so I figured I should probably explain it in more detail._

 _"I just wanted you to meet him, mom, but we're going to go back to my room now, I'll come back tonight though and see you then." My mom just grinned happily as she stared at Shoto._

 _"No problem, sweetheart. I'm just glad you finally brought him around. It was lovely to meet you Shoto!"_

 _We left the room quickly and I didn't have to look at Shoto to know he was probably quite confused right now._

 _Anyone would know from walking into that room that my mom had been there for a while, there was a photo of me, her and dad on the table next to her, for god's sake. And as far as Shoto knew, my mother was perfectly healthy. Her absences from the few times where I'd had dinner at the Todoroki's was explained as her being out of the country for work so it was an adjustment to see the real truth._

 _We walked down the hall a little ways because I didn't trust my mother not to get out of bed and eavesdrop at the door, before I turned to look at him. He just watched me, obviously knowing I intended to explain and waiting for me to speak._

 _I sighed again. "My mother didn't organise the betrothal. I did."_

 _Shoto looked suitably stunned at that, his mask slipping away as he stared at me in shock. I swallowed before continuing._

 _"Mom got sick last year, and although things were a bit tight after dad died we still had money. But when she couldn't work and the hospital bills started coming we struggled, and… couldn't afford her treatment."_

 _My voice grew hoarse a bit as I spoke, trying to hold in my emotions but Shoto just stayed quiet as he stood there and watched me._

 _"Then your dad's letter arrived and I saw it as my opportunity to help. To save mom, and fund me getting into UA. I used to wonder if he knew about my mom, and that's why he sent the letter, but he's never said anything. I didn't really care about the consequences of the decision because I felt the pro's outweighed the cons. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, and I'm sorry I lied about mom being overseas working those times. I just… I couldn't afford for you to change your mind. But that's different now, and I owed you an explanation and an apology."_

 _I looked down, staring at the pattern on the linoleum under our feet as Shoto absorbed what I had told him. It was quiet for a while before he spoke._

 _"You owe me nothing." He said and I looked up in surprise at him. Shoto's mismatched eyes stared into mine and I felt trapped in them. He was looking at me with a strange expression, like he was seeing me in a different light that he hadn't expected._

 _"Still," I said, and looked away, down the hall. I realised it was probably stupid to attempt to distract myself like this, considering I couldn't really make out anything in the hallway anyway. "I didn't want to lie to you."_

 _"I don't care Mirai, it's not your fault. And you're entitled to your own secrets. We all are."_

 _I turned back to him in surprise and noticed a fire in Shoto's eyes. It looked like burning anger. Anger at me? Or somebody else?_

 _Before I could ponder it for too long, Shoto spoke again._

 _"I need to leave, I'm supposed to be back home soon. But thanks, for telling me." I nodded at him and Shoto watched me for a few more moments before he walked past me and down the hallway to the elevator. Soon enough he as gone._

* * *

The weekend passed pretty quickly after that. I continued to get treatments for my eyes, I spent some quality time with my mother. The only surprising thing to happen after my visits on Friday was when Midoriya turned up at my room on Saturday, blushing as he apologised for disturbing me, but he had wanted to see if I was okay.

He really was a sweetheart.

I had smiled at him and assured him it was alright before he came into the room and he sat down on the seat next to me. We had spoken for a bit about school and the incident at USJ. About how Aizawa and Thirteen were doing. I recalled the vision I had seen of All Might, and what happened to him before Midoriya had intervened. I narrowed my eyes at him, although my eyesight was still quite blurry I could still make out the nervous way he held himself. Was he always like this? I wondered if he knew what was going to happen if All Might had been attacked, and I suspected he did indeed know about All Might's weakness.

I didn't say anything though. It wasn't my place, and I was sure if it ever became relevant, me knowing in secret could be helpful. Midoriya stayed for a while, talking to me and I was surprised to find I enjoyed his company.

Once he had left though the weekend felt like it passed very quickly and before I knew it I was checking out of the hospital, my eyesight all but recovered. It was still slightly blurry occasionally but I was told that would disappear soon.

When I arrived home later that night I couldn't be bothered doing anything aside from having a quick shower and passing out, still exhausted from all the healings I'd had.

Of course, I woke up fatigued for school the next day but managed to drag myself out of bed and prepare myself for the day. When I arrived at class 1A though, everyone turned to look at me.

"Mirai! You're here!"

"You said you would be but I wasn't sure if you'd make it."

"Hey, hey! How many fingers am I holding up?"

I sighed, but couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face at their concern. "Yes I'm here, I was discharged last night. Of course if I said I'd make it, I was going to make it. You've got three up Eijiro, also that's how you test for concussion not blindness, although I suppose it would work if I were blind."

Half the class grinned at me, which I returned as I made my way to my seat. I smiled at Shoto who looked at me as I approached and he merely gave me a nod before looking away. Once I was in my seat, I stared into the distance, focusing and unfocusing my eyes. It pressed on me that I needed to train with my quirk more and I tried to think of how it would be best to do that. I contemplated asking the teachers at UA if they had suggestions, I'm sure they'd had other students similar to me over the years.

Present Mic came into the room, causing a scene as he did and I wasn't surprised that we had a sub homeroom teacher for a while until Aizawa recovered. From my understanding he was still in hospital in critical condition but stable and improving quickly. It wasn't surprising though that he wasn't coming back to work straight away.

I zoned back in and allowed myself to fall into the groove that was school.

* * *

Three weeks passed surprisingly quickly as the routine of school absorbed me. My eyesight returned to normal which I was very happy to have. Normal classes were in the morning, which I struggled my way through. Followed by lunch in the cafeteria which I spent with either the girls or Eijiro, Denki and Hanta. Hero training in the afternoon.

Sometimes we'd do something exciting in hero training but more often than not it was just gym work. My assumption was that they were giving us a break after the overly exciting first week of school we had. I didn't mind the gym work for hero training however, in fact, I enjoyed it.

We spent a lot of time sparring and I used that as an opportunity to practice with my quirk. One of the main things the class began doing in gym was seeing how many people could go up against me alone. I would be blindfolded and using my quirk with my bo staff allowed, while the others would not use their quirks but would practice team work skills to try and take me down.

All Might allowed it, because he saw it as mutually beneficial for both me and the class. Plus, everyone enjoyed watching me take on multiple opponents while blindfolded. I admitted I felt quite cool as well, if it wasn't well known that I wasn't some super ninja, I was just using my quirk to see their moves before they made them.

My record so far was five opponents before they overpowered me. But overtime, that was lessening as the class learnt to communicate silently and work together. I ended up getting my ass kicked more and more frequently, despite my increased skill with my quirk. But I didn't mind. It was good for me.

Once a week, Shoto and I would still spend the afternoon at the park together, and it was both better and worse than it had been since we first started. It was better because Shoto would more regularly reply to my questions and comments, now that I knew he was awake most of the time. He didn't seem to mind talking to me.

It was worse though, because sometimes Shoto would shut off entirely, and rather than just becoming indifferent, he would become standoffish and cold. Like I'd done something to offend him, but I didn't know what it was. I didn't even know if it was me, but every now and then it was like he'd remember something and just shut off.

That hurt more than I expected it would, which annoyed me in turn. I didn't have a right to be annoyed, Shoto didn't owe me anything, but I owed him everything. And he still treated me quite well. It just sucked when I thought we were bonding and I'd get this light feeling in my chest, just before he'd grow cold and distant.

The only significant event that I could think of that had happened over the three weeks was when Bakugo and I had gotten into an argument.

I don't really know how it started, it was before class and Midnight was running late. I think it had actually stemmed from Midoriya doing well in the Hero training we had the day before, because Bakugo's mood all day had been foul.

I had complimented Midoriya's technique from the day before and Bakugo had interjected something rude. I had responded. He had yelled. Soon enough we were arguing across the classroom.

Suddenly Bakugo had slammed his hands down on the table, small explosions going off as he sneered at me.

"And what would you know, blue girl? You shouldn't even be here. You're just a mail order bride!"

The room froze at that as everyone gasped in shock.

"Hey, what the shit, Bakugo! Take that back!" Eijiro shouted at him, shaking his hardened fist.

"K-Kacchan! What?"

"Bakugo! Your behaviour is inappropriate for the classroom!" Iida interjected.

I felt a lot of things at that. Shock, fury, and despite trying not to, I felt… like he was right. An awful feeling rose in my throat. After all, that kind of _was_ how it had gone. His dad had essentially bought me with money. I had no grounds to defend myself. My insecurities took over for a second.

 _Was he right? Was I just here because I manipulated a bad situation? Did I deserve to be in the hero course with how I'd gotten there?_

Before I could allow my thoughts to spiral the room cooled several degrees.

There was a crash and I looked up to see Bakugo had been thrown against the front of the classroom, stuck to the wall.

He was covered from foot to neck in ice.

I gaped, before turning to look at Shoto. He had his head bowed and he was standing, leaning over his desk. His hair was masking his face and his arm was still outstretched towards Bakugo. I could see his shoulders rising with every breath and when I got a look at his face I stilled.

I'd never seen him look so angry.

His face was dark with the emotion and I felt something rise in my chest as I looked at him. He usually had such brilliant control. Why had this set him off? Sure, I could understand most people being upset about it but Shoto tended to not let anything get to him. He was indifferent to petty arguments.

Maybe his emotions controlled him more than I thought.

The rest of the class was staring between Bakugo and Shoto like it was a high speed tennis match and nobody said a word until Midnight walked in the door.

She took one look at the scene and sighed. "Todoroki, go to the principal's office. Defrost young Bakugo on your way out though."

Shoto's hand slowly lowered and by the time he raised his face to walk across the room to Bakugo, his perfect neutral mask was back up. He rested his hand on Bakugo's arm and we all watched as the ice melted. Bakugo let out a shiver as he was freed and he glared at Shoto, but he wisely didn't say anything.

Shoto slowly walked out of the classroom while Bakugo returned to his seat with a scowl. He acted like he was immune to the shivers still wracking his body from the cold and the class also returned to order as Midnight began teaching.

When Shoto finally returned half an hour later, nobody said anything as he returned to his desk but I could see a lot of anger hidden in his eyes as I tried to catch his attention. He ignored me, and when I did have contact with him over the next few days he remained cold and distant, before he eventually returned to normal a bit.

* * *

After that, time passed pretty quickly as I settled into a routine and then, before I knew it, one day Aizawa walked into homeroom instead of Present Mic.

The door opened and everyone ignored it, assuming Present Mic was making his way in. However when a tired voice spoke a soft "morning", the class turned to see Aizawa standing in the doorway. He was covered head to toe in bandages and looking like a mummy. More importantly, we hadn't been told that he'd be returning to school any time soon.

"Aizawa-sensei, you're back too soon!" The class shouted.

"You're too much of a pro!" Denki commented, watching him in awe. I could see Eijiro and I knew if I could read his mind for a moment he'd probably be repeating the words 'so manly!'

"So you're all right, Aizawa-sensei?" Iida asked him as he hobbled to the front podium.

"Can you really call that alright?" Ochaco whispered from beside me in disbelief. I was inclined to agree.

"My well-being doesn't matter. More importantly, the fight is not yet over."

Fight? What was he talking about? My heart beat faster as I searched through visions rapidly for what he was referring to. How could I miss an attack? I'd been working on stretching out my quirk over the last three weeks. I quickly found what he was referring to and almost sighed in relief.

"The U.A. sports festival is drawing near."

"That's a super normal school event!" Everyone shouted again.

"Wait a minute!" Denki spoke and he slapped a hand over Eijiro's face who was continuing to react energetically to the news.

"Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villain's snuck inside?" Kyoka asked.

"What if they attack us again or something…?" Ojiro queried from the front of the room.

"Apparently they think of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is solid as a rock by holding the event. Security will also be strengthened to five times that of previous years. Above all, our sports festival is a huge chance. It's not an event to be cancelled because of a few villains."

I thought about it and felt excitement build as some of the class talked about it amongst themselves. The sports festival was the opportunity to show the world of pro's that you were there, and you were intending to join them.

The way I viewed it, it could go very well for me, or very badly, depending on the types of events they chose. But I was sure there would be at least one event that I could shine in. That my years of training and using my quirk could home in handy for. I felt the excitement continue to build as Aizawa kept talking.

"Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. In the past, the Olympics were called a festival of sports, and the whole country was crazy about them. As you know, with reductions in scale and population, they're now a shell of their former glory. And now for Japan, what has taken the place of those Olympics is the U.A. sports festival!"

I remember when I was younger, my parents and I had gone one year. I think I may have been seven, and that was the first time I'd said that I wanted to be a hero. Of course, I also wanted to be a princess, but it was my first time admiring the people training in this profession. This profession that I had now chosen, and was training for myself.

The sports festival is also a good opportunity to be scouted by hero agencies and I wondered, dreamed, about what it would be like if I was to receive offers from them. That would be incredible. I didn't know what kind of agency I would choose. Would I go into rescue operations? Where my quirk would help save valuable time while searching for people. Or would I fight villains? And help protect civilians from being hurt or killed. It was something I was excited to consider.

"Of course, joining a famous hero agency will get you more experience and popularity." Aizawa continued. "Time is limited. If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at this event. One chance a year, a total of just three chances. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss this event. If you understand that, then don't slack off on your preparations!"

"Yes, sir!" The class responded.

"Homeroom is dismissed." AIzawa turned to walk out the door while we waited for our next teacher to arrive. I stood quickly and followed Aizawa out the door.

"Aizawa-sensei?" I asked quietly and he stopped and turned to me in the hallway. I hesitated, wondering if it was appropriate to ask or not before I decided to just do it. "When I was in the hospital, the doctors and quirk specialist told me I needed to keep training with my quirk and strengthen it so that what happened at USJ… with my sight… doesn't happen again. I've been doing a few things. Looking into the future more regularly, training with it during hero basic training. But I wanted to know if you had any suggestions that might help me with it…" I trailed off as I finished my longwinded spiel but Aizawa just watched me quietly before nodding underneath all his bandages.

"From what I've been informed of from All Might and the other teachers, you appear to be doing well yourself in adjusting how you train. However, I'll have a think about and let you know if there's anything I think may help. It's impressive that you've adjusted as well as you have to the news, Himori. Although I'm sure you're aware that your injuries at USJ were only the fault of your own carelessness."

I cringed but nodded. He was right after all. If I had better prepared myself and my quirk I could have been fine. Speaking of USJ, though.

"I also wanted to apologise for that, sensei." AIzawa looked at me curiously and I swallowed. "If I had been better prepared for my quirk, if I had thought about the visions I'd seen more. We wouldn't have ended up in that situation, and you wouldn't have been put in hospital."

"You're reasoning is highly irrational, Himori. Your quirk may be powerful but it is not limitless. They would have found a way to attack in any situation and it could have ended far worse. The blame for the incident at USJ is shared amongst the staff of U.A. and more importantly, the villains."

I nodded quietly looking down at my feet as I absorbed what he said. Maybe he was right, after all, Aizawa was generally a very smart and logical person. I felt the weight on my chest lift a bit and my lips twitched. Aizawa didn't say any more, merely turning around and walking away, so I re-entered the classroom.

* * *

It was when school ended that day that class 1A got an even bigger shock. I had been slowly packing up my bag, not in any particular hurry since today I was going to the park with Shoto, when I heard Ochaco shout from the doorway.

"Wh-… Wh-what's going on?!" My head snapped up and I stared at the swarm of students crowding around the door to our classroom. They stood there staring at us as they whispered and I gaped. _What?_

"What business do you have with Class A?" Iida asked from near the front. His serious persona coming out.

"We can't get out. What'd you come here for, anyway?" Mineta shouted at them.

"Scouting out the enemy, small fry." Bakugo responded as he ignored the commotion and strolled towards the door. He was correct probably. With the announcement of the sports festival today, they were bound to come and look at the competition. It was just a little bit intimidating to have our exit blocked. "We're the ones who made it out of the villains' attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival."

I hummed in agreement.

"There's no point in doing stuff like that." He continued in a growl. "Out of my way, extras."

The rest of the class paled.

"Stop calling people "extras" just because you don't know them!" Iida shouted and the rest of the class cringed at Bakugo's approach to the situation. _Of course he would antagonise the crowd_.

"I came to see what the famous Class A was like," a voice spoke, and I frowned, recognising the slow drawl. I grabbed my bag and shuffled towards the door to get a better look. "But you seem pretty arrogant."

A boy was pushing his way to the front of the crowd and the sea of people parted for him. I recognised his purple hair and purple eyes immediately. The bags under his eyes were unmistakeable. _Hitoshi Shinso_. We went to middle school together. I knew he was at the school somewhere having been accepted into general studies, but I hadn't seen him around campus since school started. Whenever I thought I saw him he quickly disappeared. _Was he just observing and biding his time_?

"Are all students in the hero course like this? Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned." Shinso commented and I walked further forward into his line of sight. He had shoved his way to the very front and he looked at me, not seeming surprised in the slightest.

"Shinso." I greeted. I would have smiled at him, but since I didn't really know what his plan was, I just gave him a neutral nod.

"Himori. Ah, so perhaps not everybody then." He gave me a nod in turn before turning his attention back to Bakugo and the others. "There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?"

Of course, I did. Although I had also applied to a few other hero schools, the likelihood of the physical tests being that different between the schools wasn't high. My back up plan was to do exactly has Shinso had done. Fortunately for me, my intense physical training had helped me make it into the hero course, along with a few different benefits my quirk had for me. Shinso was not the same.

I felt bad for him. When I asked him once in middle school if he wanted to train with me for the entrance exam he just shook his head and declined. He didn't have any expectations that they would provide an entrance exam that he could get into using his quirk. So he had resigned himself to going into general studies. I, however, did not give up that easily. Which was why he was here. Making his move later on in the game to get into the hero course.

"The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out."

The class stiffened in surprise at that.

"Scouting out the enemy? I, at least came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

The class descended into silence at that and I felt my lips twitch. Yep, I should have seen this coming from Shinso. Another voice cut through the stunned silence and I turned to someone else with grey hair shaking his fist at us.

"Hey, hey! I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourselves! If you bark too much it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

I sighed in annoyance. Why did everyone think we were so full of ourselves? Did they think we wanted villains to attack? They all seemed to be targeting Bakugo but I would have thought he wouldn't care enough to have purposefully antagonised other students over the last few weeks. Who knew though?

"Wait a minute, Bakugo!" Eijiro called when Bakugo simply started pushing his way through the crowd. "What're you going to do about this? It's your fault that everyone's hating on us!"

"I don't think it is-" I responded but Bakugo cut me off.

"It doesn't matter." Bakugo said simply.

"Huh?"

"It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top." I watched as he walked through the crowd, ignoring the silver guy still shouting at him.

"That's so simple and manly!" Eijiro whispered and I turned to see him clenching his fist, looking _spiritually moved_ by the comment. Obviously overcome with the prospect of it. I laughed, giving him a pat on the shoulder before walking to the door.

I smiled at Shinso. "It's good to see you again," I told him and enjoyed the imperceptible widening in his eyes at that. Even after three years of it, he was still surprised that I spoke to him without any hesitation.

I think it was that, and also the fact that we both had mental quirks that had given us the mutual respect for each other we shared. We definitely weren't friends, but we had no problem with each other, and I trusted him. In fact, it was that trust we shared that had been a factor in me not being all that successful in the friends' area during middle school. People liked me, but if they ever said anything about Shinso, particularly him being a villain, I would defend him. They all thought that was weird.

Shinso just have me another nod in acknowledgement and I felt someone step up behind me. I didn't have to look to know it was Shoto as I parted the crowd and he followed me out and down the hallway.

When we reached the school gates, Shoto spoke.

"How do you know him? The one who challenged the class."

I shrugged. "Shinso and I went to school together. We were the only ones from Nabu Middle School to get into UA. Although he went into general studies. His quirk wasn't suited for the entrance exam unfortunately. That was actually my back up too, since I thought the same thing might happen."

Shoto nodded, seeming to accept that story. I looked at him as we walked down the pathway.

"Why do you ask?"

"I didn't know whether to consider him a threat for the sports carnival. He obviously has your respect, however, considering he was unable to get into the hero course I don't think he'll be a problem for me."

 _Huh, so Shoto was starting to gear up for the sports festival_ , I suppose it made sense. "I'd say you should still be wary of him, especially not knowing what his quirk is. But in your case I think you'll be fine." I told him and he just nodded as he stared forward. He had that cold look on his face, this distant anger at something that I couldn't see. It'd been growing more frequent over the last few weeks.

When we arrived at the park, I sat down on the ground and tried to strike some resemblance to a meditation pose. Shoto, as usual, rested against the tree with his eyes closed. For the 1000th time, I wondered what he thought about when he did this.

"Do you know what the relationship between Midoriya and All Might is?" He asked me suddenly and I looked up at him. His eyes were still closed but there was a frown on his face. What had brought this on?

"No, I wasn't aware they had a relationship." I lied. Although, was it lying? I actually didn't understand all the details of their relationship but I knew that Midoriya knew his secret and cared for the hero deeply. But it wasn't my place. And it certainly wasn't my place to tell Shoto. "Why do you ask though?"

Shoto's eyes opened and he looked at me. That cold, intimidating look was there, and I tried to ignore it. "I overheard Iida and Uraraka discussing something at lunch today. You know something but you won't tell me." He accused and I flushed. "It doesn't matter anyway, I'll find it out, and I'll beat him."

He closed his eyes again and I repressed a shiver at his words. Why was he so determined to win?

"Shoto… you've been acting very strangely over the last couple of weeks. Are you alright?" I asked him timidly and he ignored me. I wasn't very surprised.

I sighed. Something was bothering him, and I assumed when he came to a decision about it all he would let me know. Until then, I wouldn't let it bother me. I had my own training to do.

I breathed deeply and searched through my visions. It had been something I had started doing to try and grow used to the headaches I got. Increase my endurance for the quirk. I searched for what was the lunch special at school tomorrow, and then how long it would take me to get home from school the day after. I stayed in the visions even when me head started to hurt. I stayed in the visions until I saw a flash of USJ which snapped me out of them.

Huh, so we were going back to USJ next week. Interesting.

I had managed to increase how far I could see by two days, although it still hurt to do so. But I grew used to the pain and it didn't bother me as much anymore.

I smiled. I was going to be ready for the sports carnival. And I was going to succeed.

* * *

 **Wheeww, long chapter. I don't know whether the later chapters will also be this long but it kind of just happened.**

 **Next chapter… the first OVA! Get keen. As I said, if you haven't watched it, it isn't that important. But you definitely should because it's good.**


	12. Class 1A vs USJ Vol 2

**Oops. I'm sorry it took this long to get this chapter out, guys! I got drawn into another fandom and it took me a while to pull myself out so I could focus on this. I'm still not 100% happy with how it went but shit happens. Either way I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

A week after the announcement of the sports festival, I woke up sweating. Trying to piece together the visions I'd seen through the night. My head ached slightly, but it was a lot less than it would have been before I'd started 'training' with my quirk.

 _The class in USJ. Watching Midoriya being raised out of a dark canyon. The ground shaking with what felt like an earthquake. A huge man stood before me, from his hand hung a passed out Shoto. Fear filled me at the sight and I lunged at him before being thrown back across the ground. The class attacking the man. Bakugo finally defeating the villain._

 _All Might's face behind the mask._

 _What the hell?_

Anger fuelled me as I got out of bed and started pacing around my bedroom. What kind of training exercise was this? And Shoto was in on it? Why would they turn a simple rescue training in to that? Didn't they realise that some of the students were still recovering after what happened last time? Was now really the best time.

Annoyance continued to rise and I sighed, before deciding that I definitely needed to burn some anger off in a run. I couldn't believe Shoto would agree to this.

* * *

I was still angry when I arrived at school later that morning and I gave Shoto a glare as I collapsed into my seat. His eyes turned to me and I could see the spark of curiosity but he didn't say anything, just returned his attention to the front of the room.

I knew I was probably being _slightly_ unreasonable.

Now that I'd gone for a run and calmed down I realised it wasn't the worst idea the teachers had ever had. It was pretty bad, but I could understand some of the reasoning behind it. And taking Shoto made sense. If the strongest fighter in the class was taken out by a villain the class would have to realise if we wanted to beat him we would have to work together. Shoto probably didn't care that much about doing the rescue training to begin with so he'd be fine with going along with it.

Unfortunately for him, that meant I was still irrationally annoyed at him.

It wasn't until that afternoon during basic hero training that we actually spoke though. All Might had us doing warm ups before we were apparently running an obstacle course, which included a four story rock wall that I was trying to not look at.

Shoto had surprisingly approached me when we split into pairs for warm ups, which was unusual. I'd found he usually paired with Momo or Tokoyami, occasionally Koda, due to their quiet natures. But I had no problem working with him, although I had to try and control the scowl that appeared every time I thought of the gut wrenching fear I'd felt in my dream when All Might had him.

He finally broke the silence when we were doing sit ups. Shoto was moving smoothly up and down as I braced his feet and I had found myself distracted by the muscles in his arm straining from his clenched fist beside him as he moved.

"I appear to have done something to annoy you." He spoke as he pulled himself up and his face was a lot closer to mine again. I scowled and looked away. "I'd like to know."

"Oh like you're so open with me." I retorted before sighing, that really wasn't the issue today. Shoto didn't respond, he just waited for my proper answer.

I didn't resume talking for a minute, just watching as Shoto continued to do sit ups while he watched me. Eventually he'd done his reps and we switched so he was bracing my legs.

I sighed as I set to work before finally answering.

"Technically, you haven't done anything yet."

Shoto's eyes widened as he looked at me and I thought I almost saw amusement in his eyes before he replied.

"So you aren't annoyed at current me, you're annoyed at what future me does… interesting."

I gave a huff on my next sit up and paused with my hands braced on my knees. Shoto just watched me calmly and I glared back at him again.

"Yep. So you better watch yourself, because future you is an idiot."

I returned to my sit ups and Shoto was silent for a moment.

"Are some futures inevitable? Or can they be changed? I find it interesting that I've managed to do something to upset you so much. Could it easily go down a different path?"

I frowned. "Some futures are set… or at least, I've never been able to stop them. But, you've given me an idea…" I trailed off and Shoto seemed to realise I'd become lost in my own thoughts because he let the conversation drop as we finished our warm ups, not like he would try to continue a conversation anyway though.

The obstacle course was difficult, however, I came 6th so I was glad for the improvement. But as I left school that day my thoughts strayed to what Shoto had said. Perhaps I could change it. And even if I couldn't, at least I could say I'd given the teachers a piece of my mind about their training plan.

* * *

I made sure to arrive early to school the next day. Knowing that if I did, the classroom would be empty except for Aizawa, wrapped in his sleeping bag in the corner despite the bandages covering him.

"I don't like your plan," I said shortly to him as I strode up and stood by the foot of the sleeping bag. Nobody was going to arrive to class for another five minutes or so, so I was safe to scowl down at my homeroom teacher.

Eventually, Aizawa stirred, I could barely see it through the bandages and messy hair covering his face but he gave me an unimpressed look at the fact I was disturbing his rest.

"What plan?" He asked me flatly.

"The one you and All Might concocted for the rescue simulation we have tomorrow. I think it's unnecessary and dangerous. There are other, safer, less mentally harmful ways to test our team work skills."

Aizawa watched me with a calculating look for a moment and I continued to glare down at him. I could possibly be overreacting by trying to change it. It really wasn't that bad, and the visions I'd seen of after the rescue training were generally positive afterwards. But still, that didn't mean I had to like it. "I agree," he responded, catching me off guard.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. I hadn't expected him to agree with me. I would have thought he'd probably give me a lecture about concepts I didn't realise applied to the training, leaving me feeling stupid, but that didn't seem to be the case. Aizawa shifted in his sleeping bag, like he was considering getting up, before he decided it wasn't worth it and he stayed laying on the floor, cocooned in his little nest.

"I agree, I think it's inappropriate and won't help. But All Might insisted, so if he feels it would be beneficial I'll allow it. However, the fact that you are aware of it due to your quirk brings us the concern of you 'blowing the whistle'."

I sighed. "I won't tell anyone, I just wanted to let you know that I don't like it. Sure, it is effective. But it's also detrimental, and there are better ways to do it."

"Oh, I trust you not to tell anyone, but that ruins the fun of what I'm going to do instead. Instead of Todoroki helping All Might pull this off, it will be you."

I gaped. That wasn't where I'd been going with this. "Why?"

"Because you're already aware of the situation now, and your capture will have just as much of an effect on the class as Todoroki's if not more. Your quirk allows you to predict things like this happening, it will shake the class more to know that you didn't see it coming and were caught off guard, than it would for the strongest fighter to be captured."

I nodded, accepting his reasoning.

"Also, as his teacher, I feel it is my responsibility to assess how Todoroki reacts to your capture to see how best to deal with the complicated relationship the two of you have."

I flushed. "Shoto and I don't let that interfere with our study. We're both here to be heroes, we can keep our personal lives separate."

"Is that true?" Aizawa asked, I could see him giving me an assessing look from the confines of his sleeping bag. "If that were the case, I doubt you'd be here right now, discussing this with me."

My flush disappeared as I paled, wondering if that was true. Was I allowing our relationship to affect my judgement here? Since this had only been brought up after me being annoyed at him, I was going with a yes, definitely. But there wasn't really that much of a relationship to go off. I didn't point that out to him, though.

"Don't worry, Himori, things like this can be a bonus, rather than a hindrance, and it's my responsibility to assess that. Therefore, you will help All Might with his plan tomorrow."

I huffed. "And if I don't want to?"

"Then I will inform Recovery Girl that you are unfit to return to USJ and you will miss the Rescue training entirely."

I scowled. So my options were to watch my fiancée get 'taken' and be useless back at the main campus, or be useless as the person taken hostage. Both plans sucked, and I didn't like the idea of my friends worrying about me. But I couldn't help the small part of me that was curious of how Shoto would react to me being taken. It was irrational, and he would probably be his normal calm self. But it was still something that I sometimes wondered about.

 _"My father wouldn't like it if you were hurt."_

 _Just your father, Shoto?_

"Fine," I groused.

There was a pause, before I continued.

"You know in most of my visions regarding this, it doesn't end well for All Might with the class, right?"

"I don't need a quirk to tell me that, Himori."

True.

* * *

The next morning I woke up feeling stressed about how the day would go, and also how the class would react to my 'capture' during the rescue training that afternoon. My involvement in the training hadn't been fully disclosed to me so I wasn't sure what was happening yet, but I was interested to find out.

This was our first actual basic hero training since the attack, not including the sparring and gym work which was useful but just not the same. Everyone was bouncing in their seats on the way to USJ that afternoon, a mixture of excitement and nerves.

I watched Mineta biting his fingernails and Toru was bouncing in place on her chair. Shoto was seated across from me, staring out the window looking bored and guilt weighed on me for a moment. Was it really right of me to allow this to happen?

However, if Aizawa thought it was okay, or at least, it would be, I suppose I didn't have a leg to stand on.

When we arrived at USJ, Thirteen met us outside again and I shook the déjà vu off, noticing most of the class also looked uneasy. Thirteen broke the tension quite quickly though.

"Ah it's good to see everyone! I hope the last four weeks has seen you well!" Thirteen greeted us from the entrance and he seemed to be cheery, despite the circumstances of our last meeting. "USJ has been closed so the damage could be fixed from the villain attack, however, it is now open again!"

Everyone in the class exchanged distressed glances at the state of both Thirteen and the giant hole that was still visible in the roof of the complex. I hadn't seen the hole when we left USJ last time since I hadn't been able to see anything. But apparently not all the damage had been dealt with.

"Well, that happened, but class is class! So let's begin the rescue training."

"Can you really move Thirteen-sensei?" Ochaco asked anxiously from in front of me.

"My back hurts a bit, but it's nothing compared to Aizawa-sensei." Thirteen gave a twirl for us and I had to hide my smile. He was correct though, Aizawa's bandages hadn't suddenly disappeared in the last week and I didn't know when they would.

"We are ready to begin class, let's start already. We are wasting time." Aizawa droned as he turned to walk down the steps.

Midoria piped up from his spot next to Ochaco, looking confused. "Aizawa-sensei? All Might is supposed to meet us as well. Where is he?"

"I don't know. Forget about him." _Wow, way to be subtle, Aizawa,_ I thought. I could tell the déjà vu was increasing with the rest of the class. But we were training to be heroes, so they dutifully ignored it and followed him down the steps.

I fell into step beside Sero, or Hanta, as he had recently told me to call him, who was looking excited, although tense. I smiled at him and he grinned back.

"You keen to put your quirk to good use, Hanta?"

"Yeah! But I have to be careful. There's going to be a lot of areas where it's not delicate enough to use." Hanta rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he thought about it and I nodded.

"Yeah, but at least it's more useful than mine. My quirk in rescue is probably only good for looking for missing or injured people. And I won't be able to help for long…"

"Don't say that! I'd kill for your quirk!" A voice interjected and I turned to Mina who was grinning at us before she pouted. "I don't think my acid would be very useful here…"

"That's not true," Midoriya spoke up. "Your acid would help getting out trapped people. You'd just have to be careful. And assuming the correct viscosity and also strength of the acid would be important in determining…" He continued talking, his words coming fast and quickly indistinguishable as we all just stared at him.

Before any of us could interrupt his thoughts though, we were cut off.

"Let's start with the rescue training!" Thirteen announced from the edge of a chasm in the mountain zone. "There'll be three students at the bottom of the chasm. One of them will be unconscious, the other will have an injured leg and the last will be very worried."

We stared down the cliff face and I was glad to see I was not the only one uncomfortable with the distance. You could barely see the bottom over the rocky edge and I was sure it was quite dark down there. How did we even get down there? I wasn't scared of heights, but I wasn't fond of them. However, once I became a pro-hero all that would have to be put aside so I may as well get used to it.

Eijiro and Denki leant over the ledge and my heart leapt into my throat as I turned away from it. _Oh boy_. I needed to get over this, fast.

I could hear the class gearing up for the activity and I took a few deep breaths before facing the front. Thirteen announced the injured to be Midoriya, Iida and Ochaco and those rescuing her were Shoto, Bakugo, Tokoyami and Momo. I sighed, knowing I was not needed for this and turned away, to go and sit on a rock.

I knew I should be watching but the knowledge of what was going to happen over the next hour pressed in on me, so I waited towards the back of the group, out of the sight of the teachers.

The class did a few more rescue operations afterwards but I was thankful that I was not included in any of them. Myself, Shoji, Koda and Hagakure hadn't done anything yet but that was likely due to our quirk type and the particular rescue mission so I didn't mind.

Before I knew it we were in the earthquake zone and I knew that this was where it would go down.

I tried to keep my breathing even as Thirteen announced the rescue training and Mina began bouncing beside me. "We are playing hide and seek!" She grinned. Thirteen announced those that were searching and I grinned back at Mina.

"Just be glad that I'm not one of the ones searching. I'd find you all pretty quickly."

She bobbed her head excitedly and Eijiro interjected from off to the side.

"Hey, who do you think would find everyone first out of Mirai, Shoji and Jiro?"

Before I could consider it though, Thirteen separated us into those who could talk and those who couldn't and asked us to hide.

I sighed as I made my way down a side alley, stepping over the crumbled walls in front of me. I was glad I had the excuse to not talk as I continued further into the alley and parked myself on top of a large pile of rubble. This way I could be absorbed in my thoughts without having to call out insincere 'help me' cries.

I could feel the visions itching to pull me in, but rather than being absorbed into the specific ones about what was going to happen. I instead focused on finding the hiding places of my friends. I'd found that it helped sometimes. I could see Shoto sitting in a building somewhere near me and Ojiro was climbing into an abandoned underground carpark. Eijiro was making his way to the top of a building a few blocks away. Iida was climbing through a shop window across the street from me and I smiled as I noticed he was trying to find the perfect spot that would make his 'injured' state seem genuine.

I kept note of all the locations of my classmates, mapping them out internally in my head as I waited for All Might to arrive. I wondered when-

A blast from behind me knocked out the wall in the building across from me and I screamed. _Shit._ I forgot just how fast he was. I hadn't even seen it coming.

All Might stood over me and gave a manic laugh and I couldn't stop the goose bumps that rose on my arms. Even though I knew who it was he was still an intimidating figure. His face was covered by a gas mask and his costume was covered in spikes.

"Are you ready, young Himori?" He asked me and I just nodded, swallowing dryly.

"What was that noise?" I heard Iida ask. His voice was closer than it should have been so I knew now it was time. I went limp just as All Might grabbed me by my utility belt, lifting me. Thankfully, I had my visor on, which meant I could observe without everyone realising I was still awake.

Iida rounded the corner just as All Might thrust out his fist and a blast of air shot towards him. The wall beside us crumbled from the force but I saw Iida notice me just as he took off to avoid the shockwave.

All Might gave another deranged laugh which I tried to ignore as he jumped from our spot in the alleyway and landed in the street, walking slowly after Iida, who was running full sprint down the steet.

"Uraraka! Jiro! Run away!" Iida shouted and All Might sent another punch down the street, blasting debris out of the way and causing more of a commotion. If the rest of the class wasn't aware before, they certainly were now.

I stayed limp in All Might's grasp, trying to keep myself lax rather than tensing up. I heard the others gasp as they noticed me.

"What is he doing here?!"

"Was he hiding?"

"It can't be… how did he get her? Mirai!"

"He has Mirai?! Why didn't she see this?"

"Himori!"

"Mirai!"

Iida ordered someone to get the teacher as the rest of the class gaped at the scene.

The air cooled significantly and I saw ice rushing towards us. Before I knew it All Might was covered up to the waist in a thick wall of ice.

"Let her go." A voice demanded and I knew it was Shoto as he ran towards us. Midoriya was following him and I heard Eijiro give a battle cry from behind me.

All Might raised his fist in the air. "You won't escape, I will finish you all!"

He punched downward at the ground and a shockwave blew everyone back and the buildings rumbled. Some of them collapsed and I wondered how he knew where everybody was so that nobody was injured. The force cracked the ice that covered him and he took a step forward out of it as everyone else stood up.

"What is this?!"

"So strong!"

"Such a guy was hidden?!"

"We need to get Mirai back!"

"Alright," All Might growled from above me. "Now the terrain is clear. Not one will escape!"

"Hurry, run away!" Thirteen shouted from one of the ledges, but nobody moved.

I heard explosions coming towards us and knew Bakugo was charging, at the same time the ground cooled again. This time I could see in my peripheral, Shoto running towards us.

Bakugo was swiped away carelessly by All Might, before he sent a blast, knocking back Shoto and his ice path he was building.

"You run, I will defeat him!" Bakugo called to the rest of the class.

"Don't hit Mirai with your explosions, Bakugo!"

"Shut up, you half-half bastard!"

"You have guts to decide something like that in such a moment!" All Might called as he swung me next to him and Bakugo charged again.

I had to close my eyes to the brightness of his relentless explosions against All Might, but he couldn't get through. All Might continued to block every single one. I felt the heat on my face before I also became aware of cold approaching from the other side. Apparently while All Might was distracted Shoto had moved to the side of All Might I was being held on and he ran at us. All Might didn't even see him coming until the last moment where he managed to swipe Bakugo away with his fist again.

"It's over!" He shouted and he swung at Shoto as he moved. Shoto managed to dodge at the last moment as he continued forward and his hand closed around my wrist.

Before he could attempt to pull me from his grasp though, All Might stomped his foot and Shoto was thrown back, my wrist was wrenched from his iron grasp.

I heard Shoto land near where Bakugo had and they both rose to their feet, glaring at All Might. Perhaps if they worked better together, they'd be able to successfully 'rescue' me. But considering the glare Bakugo was sending Shoto right now that didn't seem likely.

"Don't just stand there! Make those weaklings run away!" Bakugo shouted and I wasn't sure who he was talking to now.

"Why do you have to insult others?" Iida shouted in turn and I saw him take a few steps forward towards All Might and me.

"Hey Bakugo, what do you mean by 'those weaklings?" Eijiro called from in the distance and I had to use my visions to see the rest of the class also standing. Ready to fight. I resisted the urge to smile.

"We are the 20 students of Class A." Momo announced as she stared down at the scene.

"We will all be heroes!" I heard Ochaco call.

"And you have our friend." Denki added and I saw electricity spark in his hand as he jumped down to stand next to them.

"How brave." All Might jeered. "However." He swept his hand forwards and the crumbled ground below us was swept towards the students. I watched as they dealt with the falling rocks like a team and the urge to smile increased, but I ignored it.

Hanta wrapped All Might in tape and a net was thrown over us as my other classmates rushed at us. For just a moment, I thought I saw Shoto's left hand blaze with fire.

Suddenly All Might broke free of the restraints and sent yet another shock wave at the class, blowing them all back.

"I didn't think you would all come to attack me." All Might jeered again and I saw my friends climbing to their feet. Shoto was sprawled on the ground, staring down at his hand, looking shocked. Before his gaze rose to where I was and he closed his hand into a fist, slowly standing. "It's unexpected, but with something so simple, I-"

All Might was cut off when Bakugo once again attacked from behind. _He's relentless_ , I thought, as the two continued to fight. All Might made sure to keep me protected by his body from every explosion and I saw Shoto making his way behind All Might. No doubt hoping to get to me while he was distracted.

All Might sent Bakugo backwards again with another explosion and he stood back for a moment, panting as All Might spoke again. "It seems you are tired." His words sounded like a taunt but they came out as a statement of fact. "Time to end this."

"Don't make me laugh! I'm barely getting started!" Bakugo yelled as he leapt at All Might again. Shoto sent another ice attack, ice inching up All Might's legs to distract him, before I became aware of another person shooting towards us.

 _What was Midoriya doing?_

While All Might was distracted I felt Midoriya shoot past me before I was suddenly yanked from All Might's grasp. _Shit_. I thought from the sudden G force of it as we flew through the air.

Midoriya landed and let me go as I slumped to the ground. I was in an uncomfortable position, but I couldn't move, or risk exposing myself. Thankfully, I heard footsteps approaching me and someone rolled me over onto my back.

I could hear the fight still going on but I didn't want to risk opening my eyes in case whoever stood over me could see them through the visor somehow.

A hand cupped my cheek, turning me to the side. "Mirai?" Shoto asked and I gave what I hoped was a realistic unconscious groan. I had no idea if I succeeded, but the hand disappeared and I heard him stand up before the footsteps started running in the direction I presumed All Might was.

A huge explosion shook the ground and I risked opening my eyes to see All Might being shot across the area. He crashed into a pile of rubble, rubble which I noticed had Mineta's purple balls on, sticking him firmly to the surface.

I sighed internally. _There we go. Mission accomplished 1A._

I was pretty sure there was a large rock underneath my shoulder which was digging in and I sighed, hoping that All Might was going to reveal himself in a moment so I could stand up.

Sure enough, with the threat of Bakugo approaching. All Might knocked his helmet off and grinned at the class.

"I am here!"

"All Might?!" Everyone shrieked in response and All Might gave a laugh.

"I wanted to make a surprise in which a villain appeared in the end…" He began to explain, still extremely cheery.

I sighed, sitting up. I gave my shoulder a quick rub before pulling my visor off of my head. I undid my utility belt, which currently had one of Mineta's balls on it and dropped it to the ground. I'd rather not have something of his attached to me for too long. I looking up and met the gaze of Shoto who was half way between myself and All Might, but staring back at me. No doubt when All Might's mask was pulled off he started to connect the dots.

He looked suitably unimpressed with me.

I winced, standing up and making my way over to him as he glared at me.

I smiled apologetically. "Sorry… but in my defence, you also said yes. Which is how I got myself here because when I was mad at you I confronted Aizawa and _he_ said since I knew now the only way I would be allowed to come to USJ was if I helped and I wasn't going to _miss_ it so I… yeah." I babbled my explanation nervously and Shoto just watched me, his unimpressed look not disappearing as he absorbed what I said.

"So that's why you were mad at me. Because originally he used me instead?"

"Yes. Which is why you can't be mad. Because _you_ did the same thing before I… interfered… woops, sorry."

Shoto just stared, before turning his attention away from me. "You're right. Anyone who agrees to a plan like that is an idiot."

He walked away and I frowned. _Yep, definitely mad_. But in a corner of my brain I decided to take that as a good sign. If he was mad when I was taken like I had been mad when he was taken, maybe that meant…

I was brought back when I heard commotion and I turned to see Eijiro, Denki and Hanta beating up All Might. _What?_

"Hey, hey! What're you guys doing? C'mon he wasn't the only one in on it."

"Mirai?" Midoriya asked in surprise and I saw Bakugo's jaw drop beside him. His anger returned pretty quickly though.

"Mirai! You were in on the surprise?!" Mina asked from off to the side where she had previously been shaking her fist at All Might but she approached me quickly. I nodded.

"Sorry."

Iida and Ochaco continued to berate All Might as the boys approached me. Mina punched me in the arm when she reached me and I flinched.

"Oww!"

"You deserve that! Why would you do this to us?"

"So cruel, Mirai!"

"How could you be in on it?" I just shrugged, not knowing what to tell them.

"Well, I'm glad it was just a surprise." Midoriya spoke from off to the side and I noticed everyones ire disappear quickly. He just seemed to have that effect on people. I smiled awkwardly at everyone.

EIjiro glared at me for a moment before I noticed his eyes get teary. Suddenly he rushed at me and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay though!" He said and I blinked.

Before I could really process it though I felt Mina wrap her arms around me from behind me with a shriek of "me too!" and suddenly I was in the middle of a large group hug as half the class joined in.

My eyes stung as I smiled at them. It still surprised me that I'd managed to find friends like them. I was glad to have Class 1A as my second family.

* * *

 **So!**

 **Shoto used his ice! Surprise surprise. But did he use it because of All Might's power, or did he use it to save Mirai? Bit of both? Neither? Who knows.**

 **Also I hope you guys liked the approach I took with it. I just felt that Todoroki's main priority would be getting her out of the line of fire a) so she's safe and b) so that they can attack the villain more easily.**

 **Also the class has a slightly stronger reaction to Mirai being taken than Shoto because she's their friend who they spend more time with and have gotten to know already. So I hope that makes sense.**

 **Anyway, I've got a big surprise for you guys next chapter so get keen!**

 **Once again, sorry it was so late. I watched Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Catnoir and had to deal with my love for their love for a while.**


	13. Ice and Fire

**Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows guys! It means a lot and it helps me write to see that support!**

 **FYI I've come to enjoy the unintentional puns that Shoto's character provides me. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Over the next few days after USJ, Shoto continued to act a little icy towards me. It wasn't really that noticeable. I don't think the class even realised there was anything to see, but he wouldn't acknowledge me when I'd walk into the room. Although I did find him occasionally staring at me with a puzzled expression. He cooled down by Friday, though and we were back to normal – or at least, as normal as we could get.

The rest of the class's anger at me had disappeared pretty quickly. However, poor All Might had to suffer through a couple of disrupted hero training classes when people wouldn't pay attention to him. However, he quickly earned back their affection.

Class continued as normal and I could tell people were really getting excited about the sports festival. I heard people making plans to train together and I smiled. I'd been getting up even earlier since the announcement to go for longer runs. I would jog in the mornings and in the afternoons and nights I would switch between quirk training and either strength exercises or combat practice.

My body was feeling the strain but I wasn't going to let it bother me. The sports festival was my opportunity to make my mark.

Denki and Hanta sidled up to my desk on Friday morning before home room with matching impish grins on their faces and I saw Mina poking her head out from behind them.

"Hey Mirai! What kind of things are we going to do in the sports festival?"

"Yeah, what have they got planned?"

"C'mon! You can tell us!"

The classes attention was drawn to the back of the room and I saw Eijiro, who had been annoying Bakugo moments ago, leap over Hanta's empty desk in his effort to get to me and hear what I had to say.

I smiled sheepishly at them. "Sorry guys, I actually don't know. I can't find it. I think the teachers are actually actively hiding it from my sight…" I pouted and rested my chin on my hand as their smiles drooped. My pout turned into a smirk though as I surveyed them. "Even if I did know, though, I wouldn't tell you. That's my quirk advantage."

"Aww, come on Mirai! That's no fair!"

"Yeah! We're best buds!"

I laughed but before I could reply a tired voice from the front of the room spoke.

"Everyone back to their seats. Stop harassing Himori, she doesn't know anything."

I shrugged at them as they all gave me matching pouts before they returned to their seats. Aizawa was making his way into the classroom slowly, still hindered by his bandages. He continued speaking once he reached the front of the room.

"She is correct though. Majority of UA staff is unaware of what awaits you during the sports festival so that it doesn't leak out." Everyone's shoulders slumped in disappointment for a moment before they remembered that they were still getting to compete in the carnival anyway. "Himori, once home room is over, come speak with me." Aizawa said and I nodded before he began the rest of the announcements.

Once he was done I made my way up to the front of the room and he turned to look at me.

"What is it, Aizawa-sensei?" I asked him.

"You asked me to inform you if I found any potential training methods for you. Like I said before, you appear to have adjusted well. However, we don't need you needlessly causing permanent damage to your eyes so the staff has a training idea which I will be running with you on Tuesday. Is this okay?"

"Yeah, that's perfect!" I responded with a grin and he nodded.

"Good. Now go back to your desk. I'll see you at 8am on Tuesday, we'll go to the field since it's easiest." He shooed me away with a lazy hand.

I returned to my seat and gave Shoto a bright smile when he looked at me. He quirked a brow in question as I sat down.

"Aizawa-sensei has arranged a training session so that I can work on my quirk." I explained and Momo leant forward over her desk so she could listen as well. "Hopefully he can help me with some control aspects so I can stop the whole 'go blind from overuse' thing."

Shoto frowned at me and Momo spoke. "You've been training with it already haven't you? Although I suppose Aizawa-sensei is likely to have experience with quirk difficulties. Especially since his also involves eyesight."

I nodded and Shoto looked like he was going to say something but changed his mind. He just gave a nod of his own before he turned to the front, appearing lost in his own thoughts.

The day passed pretty quickly, as did the weekend and I knew everyone was really prepping for the sports festival now. I trained for hours on end before visiting my mother in the hospital. There had been a slight delay in how long it took but she was cleared into remission two weeks ago. We had celebrated that day by ordering some of our favourite food to the hospital, since she wouldn't let me leave, and binge watching shows. The hospital still wanted to keep her for a bit while she got her strength back but it wouldn't be long before she was home. The thought made me giddy.

When school finished that Monday, just two days shy of the sports carnival, Shoto and I left together. Since today was the day we spent at the park. We once again walked in silence and I noticed he seemed different today, like something was weighing on him.

I tried to broach the subject with him but he wasn't paying attention.

It wasn't until we were resting under our tree and had been there for over an hour that I finally decided to ask him about his strange mood. He'd been staring at a bench near the other side of the park where I could see a few teenagers from a different school hanging out. It looked like two couples and another friend and I wondered how that friend felt being stuck with a bunch of lovebirds.

"Shoto…" I spoke softly, hoping to garner his attention, but he was either entirely lost in his thoughts, or trying to ignore me. "Shoto," I repeated louder.

Hesitantly I raised my hand and placed it on his knee closest to me. He finally seemed to zone back into the surroundings and he turned towards me, his heterochromatic gaze meeting my own pale blue. I fought the blush that threatened to rise on my cheeks as we stared at each other.

"Are you alright? You're acting strange."

He didn't say anything for a moment, just continued to stare at me. His face was impassive but his eyes made him look like he was trying to solve a complicated math problem. Eventually he nodded though.

"I'm thinking."

"About?" I probed, hoping to get something out of him. I realised abruptly that my hand was still on his knee but I didn't dare move it.

"My father."

Shoto was staring down at his left hand as he spoke and I could tell there was some form of a conflict going on in his head as he sat there. Was this because he used his fire side last week? Even though it was for a moment, I knew he had sworn to never use it. I remembered he looked so shocked in that moment. It had happened so quickly even I was unsure if he'd actually used it at first.

From the few interactions that I'd had with Endeavor over the last four months, it had become increasingly apparent that Shoto detested his father. He was rude, arrogant and treated people like they were objects and bargaining chips rather than humans. Apparently that extended to the half of his quirk that he had inherited from him.

I remembered the first time I had dinner at Shoto's place, the second time that I met Endeavor. It was then that I learnt that Shoto was actually the youngest of four siblings. Aside from his sister, he had two twin brothers who had graduated high school the previous year. Asahi, who I think had a cold quirk, despite the hair he'd inherited from his father, and Yukio, who I was pretty sure had a heat quirk.

Fuyumi and the two boys had tried to keep dinner conversation light, engaging me in a few topics, but it had been difficult. Shoto was entirely silent beside me and Endeavor was mostly silent except for a few words. Remarks about Shoto's training regimen, when other pro-heroes were brought up he made some snide comments. I flushed in anger and embarrassment as I remembered him asking if Shoto and I had decided how many kids we would have.

 _"I expect you will not stop until at least one of your offspring has inherited a combination of your quirks. I am, after all, trying to build a legacy here."_

 _I blanched, staring down at my hands as the conversation took an uncomfortable turn. I didn't know how to respond to that and apparently neither did the others as they all sat silent. Beside me, the air cooled and Shoto sucked in a sharp breath._

 _"I don't believe there's any need for details like that at this time, father." He spoke up harshly._

 _Endeavor merely scoffed before returning to his food and Fuyumi stuttered as she asked me what I did during my free time._

It was then, that I had decided that I didn't like Endeavor very much.

I shook myself out of the memories and gave Shoto's knee a gentle squeeze. He didn't even notice it.

I sighed as I looked at him. "He… He doesn't control you, you know. You can be your own person."

I understood why he didn't get along with his father. But I knew there was more to the story than what I knew. However, Shoto wasn't exactly likely to open up to me about it.

Shoto dragged his eyes away from his hand, which was now clenched on top of his other knee and looked at me. He didn't respond but I hadn't really expected him too, I also wasn't even sure if he heard my words. I was surprised that Shoto kept his eyes on me and I forced myself to not look away. I felt like he was seeing through me, searching for something.

Eventually his eyes followed my arm down to where my hand still rested on his knee and he almost looked surprised for a moment before he shifted his legs and my hand fell away.

I pulled back and returned to the book I had resting in my lap. It was one we were studying for literature and it always fascinated my how teachers managed to find the most boring book they could for us to study.

We stayed silent like that for a long time, until I checked my phone and found that we'd been there for an extra half hour, apparently caught up in our own thoughts. I was surprised, usually Shoto left as soon as we'd been here for two hours. Perhaps his thoughts had distracted him that much.

"Hey," I called softly to get his attention and Shoto slowly opened his eyes before looking at me. I smiled at him. "Detention is over, you're free to go." I joked as I stood up and Shoto followed me.

We walked in silence to the exit of the park and when I turned to say goodbye to him, I found him yet again staring at me. I frowned, bemused, as he just watched me for a moment. Suddenly he turned his head to stare out over the park and sighed.

"Once the sports festival is over, I'm calling the engagement off."

I blinked.

 _What?_

* * *

I felt winded as I stared at him and a rush of emotions flew through me. _Shock. Confusion. Disappointment._ _What?_

 _What is this about? Why is he terminating the relationship now? Why does it matter to me?_ I swallowed past the lump in my throat, sure I probably looked like a deer in headlights right now but Shoto wasn't looking at me anyway.

"W-what brought this on?" I asked him in a quiet voice. The announcement had taken me entirely off guard.

I knew that eventually our relationship would end, and I could admit that I was disappointed that it was happening now. What had changed since he first said he would wait? From waiting three years to end it to only three days? Had I done something?

He didn't answer for a moment and I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

"I've decided I'm not going to let my father dictate my life anymore. At the sports festival I will win, without using his power. Once I have shown him that he can't control me, I'll end the betrothal. That way we can both be our own people."

I blinked again and I was pretty sure my mouth was open as I stared at him. So this was him deciding to take charge of his life? He was going to prove he didn't need his father to be a hero. And then he was going to get him back by ending the engagement early. It made sense. But I hadn't taken into account my own thoughts on the matter and the stupid, silly _rejection_ that I was feeling.

"But…" I began before I faded into silence. I didn't even know where I was going with that, my brain was still reeling.

"I decided I should inform you beforehand in case my father approaches you. But it's my decision so nobody else has an input." He reached into his pocket for a moment before holding something out to me as he looked down at me.

I reached out and took what he was offering me and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. It was a bank card. _Why had Shoto given me a bank card?_

"What?" I felt like a broken record, not understanding what was happening around me. Why did he give me this? I looked up at him in confusion.

He turned his attention to the side as he spoke. "It's a bank card for my account." He almost looked like he was blushing but I couldn't really understand anything that was happening. "Once the engagement is off, he will cut off your access to our accounts. I don't want to be a hindrance to you or your mother. This way we both get what we want."

"But… I can't take this-"

"You can. And you should. I don't need money, and your mother's health is important. As a last thank you for the past few months."

I stared down at the card in my hand, but I couldn't focus my eyes. I was still in shock. I tried to open my mouth to tell him it wasn't necessary. To tell him it was irrelevant. But I couldn't get any words out. I could just stare as he gave me a nod of farewell before he turned and walked away.

He didn't stop and he didn't look back and I watched his back disappear into the distance.

Our betrothal was over.

* * *

I stayed, staring after him for a while, before I finally shook myself out of the blank state of my mind. _This isn't how I thought today would go_ , I thought to myself as I turned and eventually made my way to the station.

My thoughts continued to race as I got on my train and I was glad I'd done the journey a thousand times over because my mind was definitely somewhere else.

I completely understood where he was coming from. He hadn't wanted the engagement, I doubt he wanted a lot of the things his father had done. So it made sense that he would decide to take a stand. But it worried me how angry he had seemed recently, especially in regards to his father. As I thought about it, I noted that for weeks his mood had been getting worse and worse. Perhaps preparing for what he was planning for the sports carnival?

And he'd given me his bank card. Tears burned my eyes as I thought about the fact that he had taken into consideration my mother and why I had accepted the betrothal in the first place. But that didn't stop the part of me that felt slightly betrayed that he had just decided he'd had enough now and was ending it.

It was irrational, it was stupid. But I couldn't stop the way I felt. And I knew that I was going to miss our afternoons together, along with other things.

When I made it back to the house I went through the evening on autopilot. Even when I did my strength training, I didn't focus on anything.

It was later, when I was lying in bed that I allowed the _extremely irrational_ part of me out and I felt tears well up and fall as I thought about today.

I thought it was ironic. I cried the night before I met Shoto, and now I was crying because he had decided he was following his own path and leaving me behind.

He wasn't leaving me behind, of course. I was still in his class and had every intention of making my mark in the world at the sports festival. I wasn't going to let something like this interrupt my plans. But there had been a part of me that had grown bigger every day that hoped Shoto and I would eventually work together as a team, rather than rivals.

I suppose that wasn't the case anymore.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning after a rough sleep. I hadn't actually had any visions, or at least no more than normal. But it had still been a bad rest, tossing and turning.

I groaned and rolled out of bed. Even though I was awake earlier than normal I would have to skip my run today since I was meeting Aizawa before school for training. I sighed as I made my way to the kitchen. This was going to be a rough day.

When I arrived at school later that morning I met Aizawa out by the field and called out a greeting. He nodded at me from where he was standing. I briefly wondered if he had learnt how to sleep while standing up yet, or if that trick still eluded him.

When I stood in front of him he finally spoke.

"Okay, let's get started, we're wasting time. Do you know what we'll be doing today?"

"Nope."

"I want you to tell me what events there will be in the sports carnival tomorrow." He ordered and I frowned. I hadn't been able to find anything when I tried. It was strange, things kept changing, and the vision was too fluid. I tried again and was still unsuccessful.

I shook my head at him. "I don't know. It's not finalised. I would have thought by the day before, you guys would know what was going to happen."

"Ah, you would think. But one of the benefits of UA is that since all the teachers are pro-heroes, most events can be organised at the last minute. But aside from that, most of the events _are_ finalised, or at least, they're very solid concepts. You just can't see it." Even though he was covered entirely in bandages I could tell that he was grinning. He probably thought it was great that I couldn't see anything, it probably amused him how it all worked.

"Well if it's mostly finalised, why can't I see it?" I retorted.

"Because only one person is actually organising the events. They are the mastermind. They give out small tasks to individuals so they don't know the entire plan and since there's a lot of confusion surrounding it and teachers making assumptions, the visions for you are clouded and not fixed."

I gaped at him.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked, gobsmacked. Why would they go to such measures to hide it? It didn't seem that important.

"No, it isn't necessary. However, after the events at USJ, the staff decided it seemed like a useful opportunity to help you with your quirk."

I nodded, accepting that and entirely fascinated with how it worked. It made sense. "So, how does this work? I have to try and look into individual's futures to see their involvement and try to find the 'mastermind'."

Aizawa shrugged and I thought I saw him wince. It probably hurt to move at all with all those bandages on him. "Close enough. See what you can find." With that he walked off the field and I noticed his sleeping bag was waiting for him by a bench on the bleachers.

"Wait, why are we out here then if I'm not doing anything physical?" I called out after him as he climbed into his sleeping bag.

"Because it's quiet."

I sighed as I stood there. I was tired, and emotionally stressed, but that was irrelevant. I couldn't focus on those feelings right now, I needed to focus.

I closed my eyes and searched out for different teachers, starting with All Might, then Aizawa himself. I couldn't find anything relating to the carnival aside from that Present Mic was going to nag Aizawa to work with him in the announcement box.

I wondered if I even knew the teacher as I continued to search. It was a weird task, but I thought it worked. My brain hurt, but I'd actually learned to distinguish between pain and an ache that was like what you got when you exercised after a long period of nothing. Even over the past few weeks I could feel the difference in my quirk. It wasn't necessarily stronger, but it was more durable. Which was useful.

Eventually the warning bell for class went off and I scowled as I made my way towards Aizawa, who was crawling out of his sleeping bag. It amused me that he was the type of person who thought keeping a suitable state of decorum was irrational. I was quite fond of the teacher.

"How'd you go?" He asked me and I pouted.

"Nothing significant. Midnight is refereeing and there's an obstacle course, that's all I've got. I don't know anything else. Unless that's the entire event?" I sighed in frustration.

"Obviously you need to work on it, but that's the point of this. It should strengthen the connection between you and your quirk, like working out different muscles in your leg."

I nodded as we made our way to homeroom.

When I entered the room I forgot about my training with Aizawa though when I noted the two toned hair at the back of the classroom and I tried to ignore the tightening in my chest. After everything that had happened and everything that was going on, now was not the time to evaluate my feelings about a certain individual. It was still there though.

I made my way to my seat, avoiding looking at him as I went, but it was quite easy to do since he appeared to be subtly doing the same thing. I sighed as I sat down in my seat and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was staring forward, his face his usual impassive mask and annoyance crept up on me.

It was like he wasn't even affected.

I turned my own attention to the front and ignored the boy beside me. Two could play at this.

Shoto had ended the engagement so that he could be his own person, and that included rising to the top without his father. It was only fair that I met his challenge. I felt adrenaline fill me as I imagined beating him at his own game.

He was emotional about his father, and he was only using half his quirk which would leave him weaker than otherwise. This was my chance to one up him, and if I beat Shoto Todoroki, son of Endeavor, during the sports carnival, I could make my mark in the pro-hero world. He was right to prioritise making his own mark in the world and I wasn't going to let my own feelings get in the way of doing the same.

I was going to show everyone what I was made of.

* * *

 **Woops, sorry guys. They aren't even together and they're breaking up lol. But it looks like Mirai is fired up now so we'll have to see how the sports carnival effects things right?**

 **Sooooo, Mirai's beginning to acknowledge her feelings for Shoto, and what of Shoto's feelings? Is he hiding things? Hmmm.**

 **I didn't actually realise until after I'd written it that the way the visions work sometimes with Mirai is kind of like Alice and Victoria's army from the Twilight series so oops sorry about that. No copyright intended. I didn't realise until after that they were similar but it makes sense anyway that that's how it'd work, and there are differences.**


	14. The tournament begins

**Yeww! Another really long chapter! The tournament begins and I hope you guys enjoy this!**

* * *

I woke up the morning of the sports carnival with fire running through my veins. I didn't even mope in bed for a few minutes before I was up and doing some stretches.

I pushed all the thoughts that weren't to do with the sports carnival to the back of my mind as I prepared for the day. I probably could have had a look to see more details of what would happen today but I decided it was better to save my strength for the carnival. I didn't want to risk wearing myself out before we even competed.

The train that morning was packed with people coming to watch the event and I tried to keep my head down so people wouldn't notice my school uniform and talk to me. There was a lot of chatter and excitement about the games. People talking about how they thought winners from the previous year would do this year. Another topic that came up often was Class 1A which was unsurprising. The news of our first incident at USJ had spread quickly and now we were known as the first year class of heroes who fought off the League of Villains.

The attention could have been cool if it wasn't so distracting. It also felt like a lot of pressure, but I pushed it aside as I got off the train and made my way to the huge stadium that the UA sports festival was being held.

There were hundreds, probably thousands of people milling around at different stalls that had been set up. I could smell the food and I saw kids running around with masks of popular pro heroes on their faces. The entire event was crazy. I remembered when I had come with my parents when I was little. They had bought me an All Might mask and I had worn it all day. I think I actually refused to take it off that night before bed.

It was funny to think that the number one pro hero was now at my school. Teaching us the tools of the trade.

When I made my way into the waiting room set aside for class 1A I saw most of them were already there, in various states of preparing for the tournament.

Toru was bouncing up and down in either nerves or excitement, I couldn't exactly tell since she was invisible. Hanta and Shoji were doing stretches in the corner and a few of the others were taking their sports uniforms out of the lockers that had been set aside for us.

I still wished that I could have work my hero costume, it would have been much more comfortable, but UA didn't want anyone with an unfair advantage. And considering most of the students at UA didn't even have hero costumes, it made sense.

I walked over to the locker with the number ten written on it and grabbed the sports uniform out. It was a dark blue with red and white on the arms. UA was written vertically across the front in white and the uniform felt light and breathable so I supposed that it would do.

When I came back from getting changed, all the class had arrived and people were either stretching or sitting at the tables in the room. I made my way over and sat across from Momo, and Kyoka. I figured their calm presences would help the anxiety clenching in my stomach. _This was it_.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked them and they both gave me little nods.

"Today is a good opportunity to test ourselves against our classmates and others in our year. I'd like to see where we all stand." Momo responded and I smiled.

The door opened and Iida, who had apparently been outside called out to us. "Everyone! Are you ready? We will be entering soon!" I swallowed the nerves and took a deep calming breath as I surveyed my classmates. They all appeared to be feeling quite similar. I noticed Shoto walk around the table from where he was standing on the other side of the room and approach Midoriya.

What was he doing?

"Midoriya." He called to get his attention and everyone in the room turned to the centre. It was very rare for Shoto to actually interact with anyone. Aside from a couple of comments shared with Momo and Tokoyami he rarely spoke. I was probably the person he engaged with most and considering he hadn't acknowledged me since Monday it was surprising to see him approach Midoriya. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Todoroki. What is it?" Midoriya asked, apparently also surprised by the attention. The two stood in the middle of the room, staring at each other as the rest of us watched.

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you."

 _What the hell, Shoto?_

"Huh?" Midoriya blurted in confusion, before his head bowed a bit and he gave a nod. "Y-yeah…"

"But… All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?" I examined Shoto's face and saw that cold look that had been appearing over the last few weeks come on to his face again. "I'm not trying to pry about that. But I'm going to beat you."

The rest of the class gaped at him but I just sat there, thinking.

Why was he basically making a declaration of war? And why now? I didn't understand what All Might had to do with anything, although I did have a suspicion based on comments Endeavor had made when he was brought up. But I didn't understand where Shoto was going with this. How was this going to solve his problems with his father? Wouldn't it be better to just move on and ignore his father. Why did he want to spite him to the extreme of bringing other people in?

"Oh?" Denki whispered in excitement from the table next to mine as he watched the exchange. "Is the best in the class making a declaration of war?"

"Hey, hey, hey." Eijiro interjected as he made his way over to them and placed his hand on Shoto's shoulder. "Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Not now we're about to start."

Kyoka looked at me curiously across the table and I knew she was wondering if I knew. I just shrugged, trying to figure out his proper game plan as well.

Shoto shoved Eijiro's arm off of him without turning to look at him as the rest of the class continued to watch.

"We're not here to play at being friends." He said in response as he turned and headed towards the door. _Yeah well, you're doing a good job at that_ , I thought. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second as he left. "So what does it matter?"

A few other people turned to look at me, obviously expecting I knew what was wrong with him and I just raised my hands in a 'do I look like I know about this?' gesture. Before anyone could actually voice their thoughts though, Midoriya spoke up.

"Todoroki. I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me." Shoto stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look back at Midoriya, obviously wondering where he was going with this. I was as well. "I think you're more capable than most people, looking at it objectively…" He continued and I frowned.

"Midoriya, you probably shouldn't talk so negatively-" Eijiro tried to interrupt.

"But, everyone… The students from the other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got! I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too." He announced, his voice filled with determination. Apparently he wasn't one to easily back down from a challenge.

Shoto watched him for a moment before acknowledging what he said with a simple "yeah". He then turned and left the room, no doubt going to the entrance to the stadium. We all watched him go and the class started whispering.

"Wow, did you see that?"

"I wonder why he's saying this now."

"What was that about All Might?"

I ignored it as I stood up and walked towards the door, to wait for us to be announced and the class soon followed.

"Hey Mirai, do you know what's wrong with Todoroki?" Denki asked me and I just shrugged.

"We don't really talk much. And to be honest, I don't care that much right now, I want to focus on the sports carnival." The second part was a bit of a lie but I wasn't going to acknowledge it. I did need to keep myself focused, who cares what rivals Shoto was making.

"Did you guys have a fight?" Hanta asked from the other side of Denki as we made our way down the hallway. "You're both being weird."

"No, it's fine." I sighed. I couldn't exactly tell them the truth, especially since it hadn't been confirmed yet. Besides, I didn't want to talk about it.

"Hey if he upset you, Mirai, I'll kick his ass for you!" Denki announced as he puffed his chest out and I couldn't help but smile.

"Denki, if you and Todoroki got into a fight, he'd kick your ass." Hanta quipped and I gave a short laugh. He was probably right, and Denki didn't try to deny it either.

"Yes, but I'd go down defending Mirai's honor! Totally worth it!" He announced as he slung an arm around my shoulder and grinned. Eijiro's face lit up at that from in front of us.

"That's so manly! Count me in! I've got your back, Mirai!"

I laughed again at their antics as we approached the entrance to the stadium where Shoto was already waiting. We could hear the rumbling of the crowd in front and above us. There must be thousands and thousands of people here. All these people, a lot of pro heroes, with all their attention on us. Butterfies swarmed my stomach and I jigged my leg to get rid of the nervous energy.

I could hear Present Mics voice echoing through the stadium along with the roar of the crowd as he announced us and we started walking into the stadium. "The UA sports festival! The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year! Anyway these are the guys, right? The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with hearts of steel! Hero course, Class 1A, right?!"

My legs felt like lead but I pushed through the nerves and held my head up, staring forward in determination. This was my first chance for them to see me, I wasn't going to show the world how nervous I was, but that I was ready.

"Th-th-there are so many people…" Midoriya stuttered nervously behind me as we kept walking.

"Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people?" Iida pondered and I wondered about that. It was nerve-wracking, but if we wanted to be pro-heroes we would have to get used to the attention, unless we wanted to be like Aizawa. "This is also part of the training required to become a hero." He continued and I felt myself nod at his words.

I could hear Eijiro talking to Bakugo behind me as Present Mic announced the other classes coming out. Class B, the general studies classes, I knew Shinso would be in there somewhere. The support classes and the business classes were also announced. A total of 11 classes of 20 students. 220 first years, all vying for the number one spot.

I knew that a lot of them probably didn't have that much interest in the sports festival, if they weren't in the hero course or trying to get in, but it was still a big event.

Once we were all gathered in the middle of the stadium, Midnight stepped up onto a platform and cracked a whip she was holding.

"Time for the player pledge!"

I could hear people starting to make comments about her appearance. Whether it was how she looked or if it was appropriate for us and I wanted to laugh. To my side, Eijiro and Denki were blushing and I thought Eijiro almost looked like he wanted to turn away from the view. I grinned.

"What is Midnight-sensei wearing?" Eijiro asked as he peeked up at her.

"That's an R-Rated Hero for you." Denki responded in awe as he stared. I laughed.

"Cat got your tongues, boys?" I asked them cheekily and their blushes deepened.

"Is it okay for her to be at a high school even though she's R-Rated?" Tokoyami asked. I was about to point out that it shouldn't matter much what she looked out when Mineta gave a shriek of "yes!" behind me and I scowled. Of course, he was going to enjoy this.

"Quiet everyone!" Midnight called for order as she cracked her whip again. "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"

I didn't need to use my quirk to know this was going to go badly.

Bakugo made his way up to the podium looking indifferent and I held my breath as I waited, I could see the rest of the class also waiting anxiously.

"What? It's Kacchan?" Midoriya asked worriedly.

"That guy _did_ finish first in the entrance exam." Hanta explained and I knew he was right. You may as well have the guy who topped the entrance exam scores represent the year level. So far, he was the best of the group. It was like the valedictorian making a speech at a graduation.

I heard someone scoff off to the side before an annoyed voice called out. "In the _hero_ course."

I turned to the girl who had spoken. What was that supposed to mean? Like it was a bad thing for a pro-hero training high school to choose a student training to be a hero? Why would they choose a general studies person, when those in general studies had clearly done worse on the exam? Also, I was pretty sure Bakugo did extremely well on the written test as well, her argument made no sense.

"Well, yes the hero course." I responded to her with a frown on her face and her eyes turned to me, along with a few other students. "UA is a hero high school, and Bakugo beat all of us, and you in the entrance exams, practical and probably written. Why wouldn't he be the student representative?" She just glared at me before scoffing and turning back to the front.

"It's obvious she hates us." Hanta whispered from in front of me. "Don't antagonise her, Mirai."

"And it's all Bakugo's fault." Denki added and I frowned. I hadn't seen Bakugo actually do anything to earn the ire of the entire year level yet. But who knew, maybe I had missed something.

Bakugo walked up to the microphone and we all waited anxiously for what he was going to say.

"I pledge-" He started, "that I'll be number one."

Yep. That's why they hate you, Bakugo.

"I knew he'd do that!" The class shrieked in unison as the crowd started booing and yelling at him. I sighed and facepalmed. Of course, he'd make the situation worse. He was probably purposefully trying to rile people up so he'd see them fighting harder against him or something. Sheesh.

The crowd continued to react angrily and Bakugo continued to make the situation worse. I sighed, just standing there and I noticed a few people around me trying to ignore the anger of the crowd as well. Tokoyami, Momo, Kyoka, Shoto. They all just stood there patiently waiting for everything to calm down.

Eventually it did calm down and Midnight began speaking again.

"Now, let's get started right away. The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here!" Wow, way to make us all feel good Midnight. "Now, here is the fateful first game! This year it's… this!" She announced and I looked up at the giant screen, seeing 'Obstacle Race' written.

Huh.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race. The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium – about four kilometres! Our school's selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do! Now take your places everyone!"

The crowd roared in excitement and I swallowed nervously. That meant other competitors could use their quirks to take you out of the running, I was going to have to keep an eye open for any of those attacks.

The students began walking towards where the race was starting and I took a deep breath. It was time. I stretched out with my sight and searched for details about the race. It was finally clearer and I could see the obstacles. Huh, this was going to be interesting, but I thought I'd be fine. It was the other competitors I'd have to watch out for.

"Himori, you're using your quirk, that's not fair!" Mineta complained from in front of me and I frowned.

"How is that not fair?"

"She doesn't have a physical quirk so this is her quirk advantage, Mineta, it makes sense that she's using it now." Midoriya interjected.

Mineta pouted but I ignored him. I just sincerely hoped he kept away from me during the race. I'd seen what those balls could do and if he stuck me to the ground, or worse, him, I was done.

The entrance to the obstacle course was packed as competitors stood around and waited for the buzzer to sound. I was somewhere in the middle and the slow jostling had separated me from most of class A. I huffed as I looked around me. This reminded me of when the alarm went off in the school all those weeks ago.

For a moment, I wished I had written an application to bring my visor into the carnival, but I knew it was stupid. Besides, my control had gotten better and now I could focus on my surroundings as well as keep an eye out on any visions. I watched the lights above the entrance count down and I looked around me for what my plan was. For the moment, I think it was a case of just forcing my way through.

"Start!" Midnight announced and everyone started running. I darted through a gap in front of me and continued to force my way forward. People were crushing up against each other as they tried to force their way through the narrow tunnel and I focused on the occasional gaps created, pushing my way through the crowd.

I saw it happen just before it actually happened. _Shit_. Someone was freezing the ground, my guess was Shoto. Making a split-second decision I used the bent leg of someone beside me to push myself up into the air and on top of the crowd, landing on someone's shoulders.

"Sorry!" I called as they gave a yell of surprise and I pushed off them and onto the person in front of them. I felt bad about my plan but it was the only option I had.

People were beginning to cry out in surprise as they realised they were stuck to the ground and I used their immobile bodies to carry myself through the crowd. Keeping my footsteps light so that I didn't hurt anyone, I continued to shout apologies. They were all covered up to their knees in ice and I felt bad for them being caught out this early but I didn't let it bother me.

As I ran above them, people reached out to try and grab me. No doubt they were trying to drag me down with them and give themselves a chance to get out and keep going. But I leapt out of their reach every time they tried.

Soon enough I was out of the tunnel and I jumped, pushing off harder from a particularly large fellow student. I landed on the ice that was now coated the track and slid along it, trying to keep my balance.

 _Shit_. I was generally good at staying on my feet but this was complicated. I could see a few people around me had also escaped the ice attack, including Momo, Mina, Midoriya and a few others from my class. I tried to figure out how I could keep my momentum going without falling or losing speed.

Eventually I decided to try and pretend I was ice skating. It was difficult, trying to keep my balance, but it worked and I was moving along the ice quickly, not gaining on Shoto but not falling too far behind. Aside from a few other people, the rest of those that had made it through had slowed down to avoid falling on the ice. So I was currently in maybe 6th place.

Suddenly Mineta passed me from behind, using his balls to bounce his way across the frozen ground, gaining on Shoto quickly. I almost fell when I realised that I was actually impressed with his plan, I hadn't expected that.

"I've outwitted you, Todoroki!" He called as he gained on him and I saw Shoto turn his to look at him as he ran. "How pathetic! Take this! My special attack! Gra-"

Suddenly Mineta was thrown through the air as something slammed into him and I almost stumbled again when I made it to solid, not iced ground, gaping at the scene.

The zero point villains from the entrance exam loomed over us. Had they always been this big? The other students were also catching up as we faced the first barrier. There were a few smaller robots mixed in with the rest and I frowned. I hadn't seen the smaller ones, I hoped my plan was still going to work.

"Targets found… lots!" A robotic voice announced from one of the villain bots.

Present Mic's voice boomed through the stadium. "Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with… the first barrier! Robo Inferno!"

"Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?" I heard Denki cry out in shock and a few of the other students were also reacting similarly.

"Seriously? The hero course had to fight those?"

 _Yes, we did. Which is why they chose one of us to make the student pledge_ , I thought bitterly. I decided that the fact that Bakugo had gone off on his own and humiliated the class was a separate issue.

But that wasn't the priority now. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and ignoring people continuing to make comments as I calmed my heart rate. If I was going to do this I needed to focus.

Robots were easier to predict than humans, they didn't change their minds. So this gave me an advantage. The disadvantage was that it was really hard to knock a robot out of commission. I remembered the strain I'd gone through in the entrance exam trying to.

But, luckily, that wasn't the focus of today. I didn't need to fight them, I just needed to get passed them. I slid into a crouch as I opened my eyes and grinned. I gave a short harsh laugh before I launched myself forward and ran at the robots.

"Ehh?! What's this?! Himori of the hero course has charged the robots! What's she doing?"

I ignored people's gasps of shock as I ran, running my hardest in a straight line, trying to focus on both the present and the visions.

I could see a robot lock on to me and its huge hand started to swing at me, no doubt to swat me out of the way. I ducked, sliding across the ground as I felt the wind move above me from where it missed and instantly popped back up and kept running. If I could just avoid their attacks and keep going, I'd be in the clear. I dodged out of the way of another attack and kept going.

The air behind me froze and I felt goosebumps rise on my skin. I ignored it though as I kept running, dodging another attack. Apparently Shoto was making his move behind me because all of a sudden all the robots behind me were frozen in the storm of ice that Shoto sent at us and I could hear the groaning metal. _Wow he really isn't holding back today, is he?_

I dodged another attack from a smaller robot just as I heard Shoto's voice behind me and footsteps beginning to catch up. A crash resounded behind me and a cloud of dust expanded around me. It meant I had to slow down because I couldn't see much, but it also meant the remaining villains couldn't lock on to me.

Soon enough though, I was clear of the first obstacle, and I could hear Shoto gaining on me. I pushed myself harder.

"And Himori is joined by Shoto Todoroki from Class 1A! He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant! Amazing! They're the first ones through!"

I huffed as I ran, but I couldn't slow down to see how far behind me he was.

"It's, you know, practically unfair! And Himori's straight forward approach worked too! Does she have no fear?!"

"Todoroki's actions are logical and strategic." I heard Aizawa's voice join Present Mic.

"As expected of someone who got in through recommendations! He'd never fought them before, but those Robo Infernos couldn't get past his elite moves! But what about Himori?"

"Himori showed she knows how to utilise her quirk for obstacles such as this, especially when she can't defeat them otherwise. She chose the most efficient solution, and left them still in the path of those following her."

"Ahh, excellent! And now we have our two leaders with Todoroki gaining on Himori fast! Who will get through the next obstacle first?"

I already knew the answer to that but I pushed myself harder anyway. I was very fit, four kilometres shouldn't be that difficult for me since I ran five to ten every morning. However, I had to all but sprint to make sure Shoto didn't catch me and that was messing with my endurance. I zoned out of everything around me except for just putting one foot in front of the other.

Shoto was still just behind me when we reached the second obstacle and I stumbled to a stop. He quickly stopped next to me, also breathing heavily as we stared out across the giant chasm between us and the rest of the course.

"Yep, it's decided. I hate heights." I sighed and Shoto ignored me.

 _This is where I'll fall behind_ , I thought grimly as I stared at the pillars in the middle, attached by ropes. _I'm relying on purely me for this, no quirk_. Shoto seemed to still be contemplating how he was going to cross it as I approached one of the ropes and gave myself a run up.

I could hear the other students catching up. Apparently they'd all made it through the first barrier. It seemed that Present Mic was waiting for them to arrive to announce the second obstacle. Probably for dramatic effect. But that didn't matter. Deciding I needed to really avoid looking down once I was over the chasm I ran.

My plan was quite stupid, if I did say so myself. I ran across the rope, trying to keep my balance as it jiggled below me and I squeaked quietly when my foot finally slipped and I grabbed the rope with both hands as I fell. The rope bit into my hands and I ignored it as I wrapped my legs around it and started climbing along underneath it. I'd made it perhaps half of the way to the first pillar by running across the rope so I didn't have as far to go as I crawled towards the pillar.

I saw Shoto propelling himself with ice along a different rope to the side and I scowled as he easily glided across, perfectly balanced. Our eyes met for a moment before he landed on the pillar and ran up to the next rope, no doubt going to repeat the same thing.

I could hear the crowd approaching quickly as I reached the first pillar myself and prepared myself for repeating the process all over again.

I ran across the rope for as long as I could before I lost my balance and had to grab it with my hands. Present Mic made the announcement of the second obstacle as the rest of the crowd arrived but I already knew I was going to be overtaken in this. Bakugo flew overhead using his explosions, and I saw Hanta and Tokoyami also using their quirks to move quickly, along with a few other people.

I tried to ignore it all as I made my painful way across and by the time I reached the other ledge my hands were red raw, but not bleeding thankfully and I was pretty sure I was now in 34th. Enough to get me into the next round no doubt but not enough to get me noticed, which was what I needed.

I hauled myself up and took off running. If I pushed myself I could catch up to the rest of them, and maybe in the third obstacle I could take the lead again. I ran as hard as I could.

I was in 26th and climbing when Present Mic announced the next barrier.

"And now, we've quickly arrived at the final barrier!" He called excitedly and I took a moment to look. I was still a few minutes away from it so I needed to hurry. "The reality here is… that it's a minefield!"

Someone running just in front of me stumbled at that announcement and I pushed ahead of them. _This was fine, I could do this._

"It's set up so that you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So, you have to exploit your eyes and legs!" Present Mic continued. "By the way, these landmines are for games, so they're not that powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants!"

I panted and felt sweat sliding down my neck as I kept running. I needed to get there quickly.

When I finally arrived at the minefield I was in 20th place but I needed to improve on that. And this was my opportunity.

I heard Present Mic announcing that Bakugo had caught up to Shoto and they were fighting for the lead. _Good,_ I thought. _Keep them distracted._

Explosions were going off as people tried to make their way across the minefield and I saw one poor girl accidentally step on one, when she was thrown into the air she landed on a second one and it was like watching a bouncy ball. I could see Bakugo and Shoto fighting for first halfway across the minefield

I couldn't hesitate, I needed to just go. I closed my eyes and ran.

It was difficult, distracting. I let the visions absorb me entirely but my focus was on moving my legs to the right spot. My eyes were hurting and I had a moment of panic before I realised it was from the flashes I was seeing in my visions, rather than the quirk straining me itself. Although I knew I was going to have a headache when I was done.

I could hear explosions going off around me but I ignored it as I ran full sprint across the minefield, not even hesitating. My feet found the spots that I knew were safe from my visions as I ran and I tried to keep in control of the situation. I didn't know I'd cleared the group lagging behind the leaders until I heard Present Mic's voice filter through my concentration.

"Hey, hey! What's this? Himori's back in the running! Looks like Todoroki and Bakugo have new competition! The minefield is no obstacle for this girl and she's gaining on them fast!"

"Himori's quirk is ideal for this, her foresight allows her to predict where it is safe to run, meaning the minefield is an easy obstacle. However, it takes a lot of concentration, and she leaves herself vulnerable by closing her eyes."

"Well whatever she's doing, it's working! The leaders are viewing her as a new threat!"

 _Huh?_

I branched out my visions just in time to see Shoto send a stream of ice back at me trying to capture me. _Shit_. I lunge over it just in time and stumble as I narrowly avoid landing on a landmine. I open my eyes quickly and see that Shoto and Bakugo are still fighting each other but are watching me come as well. I'm gaining on them quick.

Bakugo sends an explosion my way and I duck to the side. This time I do set off a landmine and I wince at the loud bang as I'm thrown in the air.

I manage to land on my feet though and pause for a moment as I adjust to the dizziness. My head is starting to ache slightly but I ignore it, I'm still fine.

I think they thought I was dealt with after that because they both turned their attention back to each other and I hesitated as I thought about changing my tactics.

 _Perhaps I should go wide to avoid them? I'm catching them quickly because I can run faster with the mines so a slightly longer path doesn't matter, and it would keep me out of their line of fire. But should I?_

Deciding to stick with my original plan I begin to run once again. They don't see me coming, too preoccupied with each other and apparently Present Mic and Aizawa have decided to stay silent, either because they don't care or they want to see if they'll notice me themselves.

Fifteen metres… ten metres… five metres….

Just before I reach them a huge explosion rocks through the arena and it takes all my willpower not to turn and look. I can't focus on that; my priority is getting passed these two and this distraction is just what I needed.

They've both turned to look at the explosion and they notice me again. Both sets of eyes widen but it's too late for them to do anything as I jump in between them and keep running, leaving them in the dust.

I risk a glance behind me and note they haven't turned to follow me yet, apparently still too surprised by the huge cloud of pink behind us. And it's massive. What the hell caused that? Present Mic begins yelling again as I turn to the front and run forward, focusing on my steps.

"There's a huge explosion in the back?! What's with that force?! Ahh! Was it an accident, or did he do it on purpose?"

 _Did who do what on purpose?_ I slow down slightly and turn behind me again to see what he means. Bakugo and Shoto are roughly twenty metres behind me but they seem to finally be snapping out of their shock. I look up and gape for a second. Rising out of the pink smoke like a missile is someone… someone with green hair. Midoriya?

He's speeding towards us and I realise he's going to overtake me if I don't start moving again. I turn and resume my sprint. My lungs are burning and my legs are beginning to feel like jelly but I push it out of the way as I run.

"Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast! But wait! Himori's taken the lead from Bakugo and Todoroki! Look at her go! Where did she come from?!"

"She used Midoriya as a distraction to take the lead."

"Ahh, look at this twist! But can she keep it?! Midoriya is gaining fast!"

I can tell the moment that Bakugo and Todoroki snap out of their surprise completely. Explosions fill the air as Bakugo flies after us and the air cools on my heels as Shoto starts running. I have to run to the side to avoid his ice, but I don't let it bother me.

They're catching quick. I'm fast on the ground since I don't have to deal with the landmines but none of the three chasing me have to deal with them either.

"The two _formerly_ in the lead have stopped trying to slow each other down and are chasing Himori and Midoriya! Now that they have common enemies they've stopped fighting! The fight's not over yet, though!"

I don't have much longer of the landmines to run across and I'm thankful for that, because the mental strain is starting to wear on me. I can see Midoriya's shadow looming over me. For a moment it's in front of me, but then he starts to slow as he decends. _Shit if he lands on me I'll kill him_.

I don't have to worry though, as his shadow falls behind me and I think I'm probably not the one who should be concerned. They're not far behind me now though and I'm struggling to stay ahead, losing momentum myself.

I reach the end of the landmines and smile as I allow my quirk to slip to the back of my mind. _Finally_. I can focus on just pushing myself forward further. Suddenly, another explosion, this time smaller than the last, rocks behind me and I can hear someone tumbling across the dirt directly behind me. I turn to see Midoriya a few metres behind, righting himself as he breaks out into a sprint.

 _Did he use another explosion to propel himself forwards? What the hell?_

 _Shit_. Midoriya is nowhere near as tired as I am right now, and even if he was, he's fast enough to keep up with me, if not overtake me. I don't know how long I can hold the lead.

"Midoriya swiftly blocks those behind him! Would you believe it? He cleared the minefield in an instant!" Present Mic announces again.

 _No, to be honest. I can barely believe it_. I don't even know how far behind me Midoriya was at the chasm, _and now he's only a few metres behind me_ , and that distance is shortening every second as he still had the momentum from the blast.

It only takes moments for Midoriya to be right beside me, matching my pace.

"Eraser Head, your class is amazing!" Present Mic shrieks. "What're you teaching them?!"

"I didn't do anything. They got each other fired up on their own."

He was right. I could tell this was sheer determination driving us all, nothing to do with any tricks Aizawa had taught us. It was willpower alone that was keeping me going at that moment. I was struggling, but I wanted to win, I so desperately wanted to win.

Just as I thought that, a vision popped up in front of my eyes. The announcement of the next stage, and… I stumbled over a rock, it barely affected me but it was enough for Midoriya to take the lead. I chased after him, trying to stay on his tail but I could feel myself falling behind as my endurance reached its end. I'd never run this hard. I'd run farther, and I'd run faster before, but not at the same time.

We entered the tunnel leading back into the stadium and I knew that my spot in second place was safe. Shoto and Bakugo were close, but too far to catch me in this time. I followed after Midoriya though, but I swear it felt like his pace was continuing to increase as he went. I could hear Present Mic's voice echoing through the tunnel as we ran but I couldn't hear a word, too focused on keeping myself moving forwards.

The crowd screamed as Midoriya made it through the tunnel and I followed just behind. There was confetti falling and the crowd was roaring as Present Mic spoke but I couldn't hear a word. I stumbled to a stop and made my way off to the side slightly, out of the way of the tunnel as I collapsed to the ground.

My lungs were screaming, my legs were on fire, and my vision was blurry, not from my quirk thank god, but from a lack of oxygen. I felt like I was dying. I lay there, gasping for air as my vision slowly cleared and I noticed Shoto and Bakugo nearby looking exhausted as well. Other competitors were starting to come through but I ignored them as I lay sprawled on the ground, staring at the sky.

My head was pounding as well and I wasn't sure how much was the run and how much was the quirk, but it was okay at the moment. I looked up at the screen above me and could see them replaying the moment I overtook Shoto and Bakugo, along with a few other key moments from the race.

"Mirai! Are you alright?" I turned to see Eijiro and Hanta approaching me, before I could answer though they collapsed beside me on the ground, obviously too exhausted themselves to care. I huffed out a laugh.

I pulled myself up onto my elbows as I looked down at them. "How'd you guys go?" I knew they'd gotten in, since there weren't that many people back yet. But I hadn't seen their place when they ran through.

"9th!" Hanta replied and he seemed fairly pleased with that effort.

"10th." Was Eijiro's response and I grinned at them.

I held up two fingers, indicating my position and they gaped at me. "No way! That's awesome! I saw you further ahead but I wasn't sure."

"I can't believe you beat Bakugo and Todoroki!" Hanta exclaimed and I saw Shoto walk passed us at that moment. Our eyes met and I gave him a cheeky grin, enjoying the frustration I could see on his face. He obviously wasn't happy with not winning.

I stayed there on the ground, trying to recover until Midnight told us to gather for announcements.

"The first game of the first-year stage is finally over. Now, take a look at the results!"

I looked up at the screen and was pleased to see my face there proudly in the second position. It wasn't first, but it was definitely good enough. _I probably would have been happy with lower than that after the race I had anyway_ , I thought as I watched the screen.

"The top 42 made it to the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine. The real competition begins next! The press cavalry will be all over it! Give it your all!" Midnight cracked her whip again as she prepared to announce the second challenge. "Now then, here is the second game. I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be? I just said it, and now here it is…"

The screen flashed, showing the words 'Cavalry Battle'.

Midnight went through explaining how it was going to work but I didn't really listen. Already wondering about potential team ups. I zoned back in when she showed us how the points given to teams were allocated and I saw my name just below Midoriya's, worth 205 points, the second highest.

"And the point value assigned to first place is… ten million!"

The entire cohort turned to stare at Midoriya who looked like he was going to have a fit. Midnight kept speaking but I don't think anyone was actually listening as they stared at Midoriya.

I felt a twinge of guilt, but I ignored it. I don't know if I actually could have caught up to him anyway. But I remembered the vision I'd had at the very end of the race. I'd seen me with ten million points, and I'd seen myself not make it to the next round because of it. The vision had disappeared in an instant, as had my drive to get into first place.

Midnight began explaining the rules to the cavalry battle and eventually everyone returned their attention to her. Well almost everyone. I felt three sets of eyes on me and turned to see Midoriya, Shoto and Bakugo watching me with calculating, wary looks.

I immediately felt my face flush at the attention and tried to figure out what I should say. There wasn't really anything _to_ say. I decided to give Midoriya a sheepish, almost apologetic smile and shrugged in a 'what can you do' manner.

The three gaped at me and I turned away to watch Midnight, pretending to be very interested in what she was saying as my cheeks burned. I was sure I could apologise to Midoriya later.

When Midnight announced the beginning of the fifteen minutes to find your teams I frowned as I looked around the area. Where would I be most useful? In a way, my quirk would be best for defensive maneuvers, which would put me with Midoriya. But my head still hurt slightly from the obstacle race and I would rather a team where I would simply have to get through the event, to make it to the next round. I couldn't show off spectacularly in this event so I'd be better off biding my time for the next one.

"Mirai." A voice spoke behind me and I turned to see Shoto standing there. Ignoring the pang in my chest I raised my eyebrow at him in question. "I'd like for you to join my team."

I hummed thoughtfully, not sure about this one. Shoto's team was probably a very good bet, and if the last few days hadn't happened I would have said yes immediately. I knew he'd respect me and my quirks usefulness, however, I also knew he was acting a bit rashly in regards to his father. I didn't know if I wanted to risk his vendetta affecting me. Shoto just stood there watching me as I thought about it.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" I asked him eventually and he frowned, that dark look coming back to his eyes.

"I don't see why not. You can fight well and your quirk will be useful in stopping counter attacks. We've already found that we worked well together."

He was right, we did work well together. But as I looked up at him I thought about it. I could see Iida and Momo standing behind him, apparently the other members of his team so far. If I thought about the quirks we had and where he probably intended to place us I realised me being on Shoto's team would be a hindrance.

My quirk combined with the others, it would make sense that I was the rider, the strategist. Iida would be the front while Shoto and Momo were on the sides, defending with their quirks. But I knew that wasn't what Shoto had planned.

His goal of spiting his father was interfering with his judgement. He knew I would be a valuable member to the team, but given the way he planned on running it, I would be inefficient. I sighed.

"Sorry Shoto, but no." He didn't react except for a slight furrow of his brow, he just continued to watch me. "I don't think we'd make a very effective team right now. You're too absorbed in your own plans and I have my own goals. I'm going to find other people to team up with." He watched me for a moment longer before nodding and walking away and I turned to look across the group of contenders. I could see Kyoka, perhaps she'd make a good team mate.

"Hello Himori." Another voice spoke and I turned in surprise to the owner before I smiled. Shinso stood in front of me, and I'd almost forgotten he had made it through. I figured he was probably here to team up and I wondered how our quirks would work if we teamed up together. We'd have to play the game very subtly, no explosive efforts.

A vision twinged at the edge of my brain and I felt a cold feeling settle into my stomach. Shinso was watching me from where he stood and he seemed troubled. I could feel what he was planning on doing and a heavy weight joined the cold feeling inside me.

I swallowed, watching him. I'd known him for over three years, and I'd always trusted him, even though we weren't really friends. But looking at him right then, I knew something was changing.

"Please don't, Shinso." I said, my voice unsteady. I knew it was stupid to actually talk, but I wanted him to know that I did in fact, trust him. Shinso's face grew unbearably sad for a moment as he watched me.

"I'm sorry."

Something crept into my mind and my thoughts faded to nothing.

* * *

 **OMG SHINSO WHY YOU POOR BABY.**

 **Aww, I felt really bad for Shinso writing that but it makes sense.**

 **I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter and Mirai being a fearless badass in the obstacle course (well, most of the time). I've been waiting to write this chapter since I first thought of this fic so yay.**

 **Also, I plan on responding to peoples reviews which I'm so thankful for, but I wanted to get this chapter out before I go and get drunk so oops sorry!**

 **Next up: The tournament continues. And Mirai learns something shocking!**


	15. Guilty consciences and eavesdroppers

**Breaking chapter length records once again, yew!**

 **I considered breaking it into two chapters just because of the sheer amount of shit that happens but I decided, nah, let's just leave you all overwhelmed. So yeah, you've been warned guys, so get ready for a wild ride.**

* * *

 _It had been roughly 6 weeks since Shoto and I had first met and we were once again at the park._

 _Exams were getting closer and closer and I was beginning to stress as I studied. That afternoon, Shoto was, as usual, resting against the tree with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to my distress as I flipped through the pages of a textbook._

 _There was supposed to be a worked solution to an equation in the book but I couldn't find it anywhere. I let out a grunt of frustration, roughly flipping through the old textbook as I mumbled to myself under my breath._

 _"Stupid textbook. Nobody likes math, you're supposed to tell me how to do this so where is it?"_

 _I'd been looking for it for roughly five minutes when I gave up. With an annoyed sigh, I pushed the textbook off my lap, leaving it open on the grass as I stood up. Usually I would be more careful with books, but I hadn't damaged it by any means and I was really frustrated. Scowling down at the book, I turned and left, walking towards the other edge of the park._

 _It helped, when I was frustrated to take a breather and just walk. It was either that or start doing push ups and I figured a girl strolling through the park in her school uniform was slightly more normal than if I started a workout. And Shoto never seemed to mind when I left, if he even noticed._

 _When I returned just a few minutes later I let out a depressed sigh as I sat down on the ground again and stared at my workbook. I just needed to find out how to do this one question. I'd been missing from class that day and all I needed was a worked solution to…_

 _I blinked at the textbook, and the page it was open to._

 _It was the page I'd been looking for._

 _I almost squeaked in excitement as I stared at it and picked the textbook back up off the ground. Surely I hadn't been lucky enough that when I shoved the textbook away it had opened to the exact page I needed... It was slightly windy today, but I didn't think it was enough to randomly flip the pages to this. I narrowed my eyes at Shoto suspiciously._

 _He looked like he hadn't moved at all from when I last looked at him, and if he felt me staring at him he didn't react. I watched him for a moment, lost in thought as I wondered if he had perhaps opened it to the page I was looking for… but no, surely not._

 _I returned to my workbook, continuing to study but there was a small smile gracing my face for the rest of the afternoon._

 _Looking back, I think that was when things first began to change._

* * *

My senses returned to me slowly and I looked around me, slightly dazed. There was ice covering part of the field and other markers representative of there having been a battle.

I didn't remember any battle.

I could see people standing around me, some looking utterly defeated, either physically or mentally, while others appeared fine. The crowd was cheering loudly above us and I stared in confusion, trying to figure out what was happening.

The screen above us announced 'Second Round Completed!'

 _What?_

"Himori." A voice called out to me and I turned to see Ojiro standing beside me. He also looked slightly dazed, obviously confused about something. But other emotions were starting to show on his face. Anger, resentment, disappointment.

"What happened?" I asked him, and the pieces finally came together just as he responded.

"That guy, he was on our team. I think he… controlled us."

 _Shinso._

Fury rose in me, accompanied by overwhelming disappointment. Dismay, shock. He'd used his quirk on us… he'd used it on me. After all these years - years of unspoken trust - he'd used it, and now I didn't even remember what had happened in the last fifteen minutes. Had the team even made it?

I looked up at the screen again to find that yes, Team Shinso had placed third. My eyes scanned around me quickly and I saw his unique purple hair making its way through the crowd of students, towards the exit. I rushed after him.

"Shinso!" I yelled and I saw his shoulders tense, but he didn't stop moving. I broke into a jog, no way was he getting away from me right now. "Shinso!" I yelled again, even louder and I grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him around to look at me.

His face was a careful mask, a taunting, amused mask that I knew was fake and I scowled at him. Why the hell did he decide that he needed to control his teammates to get through?

"Do you want to _explain_ what just happened? Huh?" I snapped at him and he sighed. His mask cracked a little and I saw he looked slightly downtrodden underneath the bravado.

"It was the only way to get through to the finals."

"How? _How_ was that the only way? What gave you the right to do that?!" I shoved him but he barely rocked backwards, obviously braced for it. "Teams are supposed to work together and you turned us into your minions! Turned _me_ into one. I trusted you, what were you thinking?"

Anger creeped up onto his face and he glared down at me. "One person's trust won't get me where I need to be, Himori! You expect me to believe a bunch of _hero_ students would let me join their team?" He asked me snidely. "They wouldn't trust me. And you wouldn't allow them being controlled if I left you out of it."

I just glared at him in response, trying to get my breathing under control. I understood where his arguments were coming from, but he was wrong. His lack of faith in other people believing in him ran too deep. I sighed, my anger was starting to fade slightly. It was nowhere near gone, but at the moment, my disappointment in him was more prominent.

"I trusted you to never control me without my permission. But you didn't trust me to support you and your quirk, _without_ using it on our teammates. Looks like we've both disappointed each other."

There was a pause as we both looked at each other, before he finally responded.

"I didn't want to. I'm sorry." He looked sad, and I recalled with a sense of déjà vu that he had apologised looking the same way, just before everything had disappeared. "It was the most efficient way for both of us to get through, and now we can both focus on the one on one battles. I made sure not to use your quirk too much so that you'd be fine for the next round."

It didn't surprise me that he knew the limits of my quirk, he probably even knew the details of what had happened at USJ. Even in middle school, Shinso had always been a very observant person. Rather than getting involved in matters he'd stay back and gather intel, before coming to a decision on things.

"I don't forgive you." I told him and Shinso didn't react. He was probably not surprised and it made me even sadder that he had made this decision, knowing it would have major consequences on our relationship. It made me sad and _angry_. Angry that he'd done it anyway. "Yet."

Oh, I was still furious. Big time. And I would be for a while. But I also knew that at the moment, Shinso needed support in terms of his quirk. When life gave you a shit hand, or a shit Quirk, there wasn't a lot you could do about it. He was trying to make the best of a bad situation. It was kind of honorable, if you ignored the mistakes he was making on the way.

I scowled at him again when his eyebrows rose in surprise and a smirk started to grow on his face. Before he could smile at me, or say something I punched him hard on the shoulder and walked away. I was aware of him calling out a quiet 'ow' after me but I ignored it. He deserved that, he probably deserved more than one.

People had started to disappear from the field, no doubt on their way to lunch and I walked towards the exit. I noticed Ojiro also making his way towards the exit and he looked stressed as I walked over to join him.

"Hey," I called out and he turned to me and gave me a small smile, it was strained though and I saw his eyes turn towards where Shinso was, no doubt.

"Did you talk to him?" He asked, watching him with narrowed eyes.

I nodded. "He's an asshole."

Ojiro's tail twitched at that and he rose his eyebrows at me, but he didn't comment on it. "He used his Quirk to mind control us, didn't he?"

I sighed. "Yeah, he did. I went to school with him, but I never thought he'd use it on me. On anyone he was teaming up with, actually. But he was desperate."

Ojiro frowned and he looked down at his feet for a moment as we walked. "I don't remember anything. I remember him approaching me, and then the match ending. That's it. I don't even know what I did."

"Yeah, we must have done something though, if we ended up in third. I'll have to have a look at it later."

"It doesn't bother you?" Ojiro asked, watching me curiously as we exited the stadium.

"What doesn't bother me?"

"That during the entire event… we didn't do anything… we didn't earn our place."

I stopped walking, turning to him in surprise. That was bothering him? "I hadn't thought about it," I told him honestly. "It happened and it sucks and I'm angry. But there's nothing to be done… we just have to make sure we earn our spots in the finals."

"But we didn't even do anything. We didn't earn that opportunity... It feels dishonest."

I frowned as I watched him, Ojiro had also stopped walking and he was eyeing me sadly. I sighed as I surveyed him. "Ojiro," I started gently. "What happened just now was unfair. And you're right that we didn't do anything. But you're also wrong. We already proved ourselves in the first round during the obstacle course. And just now, _we_ didn't do anything, but our quirks did. They earnt us our spot, and we shouldn't let it be wasted. I'm sure there are other people on other teams who feel that they didn't contribute like they should have, but it's just what happens, okay? What happened has only made me more determined to prove that we deserve to be here."

"Perhaps for you," Ojiro responded and he looked away from me, out into the forest. "But the fact that I can't remember anything. I… I can't do it. For the sake of my pride, and the respect of my sensei's… it would be wrong of me to continue."

I watched him sadly, trying to ignore the churning I could feel in my stomach. He really felt strongly about this. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to withdraw."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as Ojiro looked down. He was avoiding my eyes and my heart went out to him. I didn't think there was anything I could say that would convince him otherwise. His beliefs were that he hadn't earnt his right, so it didn't matter if he could prove it later because it wouldn't be right. I didn't feel that way though…

"Ojiro… If you really feel you must, then fine. But I can't withdraw with you."

He looked up at that and he almost appeared surprised. "I didn't expect you to," he told me, almost determined. "You proved you deserved this in the first round. Everyone has proved themselves somehow. But I… I just made it through."

I frowned at that. I didn't think that was true at all, but I understood where he was coming from. Most of the top sixteen had likely done some feat that proved they were worthy of the finals. Ojiro felt like he hadn't. I sighed sadly at him before I reached up and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"I believe you could easily prove your worth in the finals. But that's irrelevant if you don't feel like you should be there. Anyway though," I gave him a bright smile and he looked at me curiously. "It shows your true character that you feel this way, Ojiro. And I respect that a lot. So thank you."

He nodded at me and gave me a small smile, before wishing me luck and walking away. I frowned after him. Guilt sat in my stomach as I watched him leave. I'd never considered dropping out because I hadn't 'earned' this spot, I'd kind of assumed that in most cases, it didn't matter who I had teamed up with, I made it. But did that excuse the fact that I had not consciously done anything in the last round?

I made my way to the locker rooms to retrieve my phone as I thought about it.

I thought about what Ojiro said; that I had earnt my place after the obstacle course, and I was inclined to think that was true. I was very proud of how I'd done, and I'd even beaten Shoto and Bakugo, the two leaders for the top teams in the second round. And before I had even gone into the cavalry battle I had thought about how I wanted to take a more relaxed approach, just making sure I got in rather than vying for the number one spot. I guess Shinso unintentionally gave me exactly what I wanted.

Part of me wondered if this whole thing was a good thing, though. My anger at Shinso and my guilt over Ojiro were giving me that extra drive I needed. I wasn't going to let a setback like this get in the way. I had a goal to show the pro-hero world what I had and this was my opportunity to do it. I couldn't waste it feeling bad about things that had already happened and that I couldn't control.

What's done is done. I just had to think forward, and prove myself worthy of the top sixteen.

I was so distracted by my thoughts that I didn't even realise I'd overshot the locker room, just roaming the halls aimlessly.

Suddenly a hand grasped my elbow and yanked me to the side. I collided with the wall next to me and was about to call out in pain and annoyance when I noticed who it was.

Bakugo.

It wasn't the fact that it was him that surprised me though, it was that his attention wasn't even on me anymore. He was staring at the wall in front of us with his ear slightly cocked to listen to a conversation around the corner. Apparently, he'd entirely forgotten my existence after he'd stopped me from entering that corridor.

I could hear voices coming from further down it and I strained my ears, trying to figure out why he was eavesdropping on a conversation. He didn't seem the type to care for medial gossip so it must have been something interesting.

"…the only one who was overpowered. Only me, who had experienced All Might's full power up close."

I knew the voice, another voice joined it, also familiar.

"What… does… that mean…? You used your fire… at USJ."

 _Shoto and Midoriya were talking? But why?_

"Yes. I didn't understand why at first. I thought it may have been Mirai. But All Might's aura was present, I felt it. Do you know what that means? It means I felt something similar coming from you."

My mouth popped open in surprise and I glanced to my side where Bakugo was still standing stoically, listening in. I didn't understand why they had begun talking about fire to begin with, where was this leading?

"Midoriya, are you… All Might's secret love child or something?"

 _What?_ Beside me, Bakugo didn't react to the accusation, just waiting for the conversation to continue. But my mind was racing. Pieces were starting to come together in my head. I recalled that Midoriya had known about All Might's weakness at USJ. I also remembered a conversation I'd had with the girls a few weeks ago, where someone had brought up that Midoriya's quirk was similar to All Might's, except for the complete lack of control.

Could he actually be All Might's son? I hadn't realised All Might had any connections like that at all, and they didn't look anything alike. The entire situation was curious though.

"Well, are you?" Shoto continued, and I realised that Midoriya had been suspiciously quiet since Shoto had spoken. The pieces were falling together faster now and though I didn't understand the details. I now knew there was without a doubt a connection between them.

"TH-that's not it!" Midoriya squeaked out in response. "I mean, even if I was, I would say I wasn't so I don't think you'd believe me, but anyway, that's not how it is… In the first place, let me ask you something… Why do you think that about me…?"

"Since you said, 'that's not how it is', that means there's a connection between you two that you can't talk about, right?"

He was right, he had to be. Now that I thought about it properly for the first time. It was obvious with how Midoriya had reacted at USJ that there was something. I remembered Shoto asking me if I knew something about them weeks ago, he'd obviously been suspicious for a while. But I hadn't thought too much on it, too preoccupied with my own thing.

"Endeavor's my old man." Shoto announced. "I'm sure you know that he's been stuck as the number two hero for forever. If you have something from the number one hero, then I… have even more reason to beat you."

It seemed that Shoto was continuing his declaration of war, and I wondered if he was going to elaborate. I desperately wanted to creep around the wall to watch them but I knew they'd notice me in an instant, so I stayed quiet, standing next to Bakugo.

"My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world. As a hero, he won a name for himself with crushing force. Because of that, the living legend, All Might, is a great eyesore to him."

I recalled some of the comments Endeavor had made about the number one hero, yes, you could say that.

"Since he couldn't surpass All Might, he moved onto his next plan."

"What are you talking about, Todoroki…? What are you trying to tell me?" Midoriya asked him, confusion plain in his voice. My heart thudded against my ribcage as I thought about what he might say.

"You've heard of Quirk marriages, right?"

My eyes widened and I felt my jaw pop open. I couldn't believe that Shoto was actually going to tell someone. And that he had willingly instigated the conversation. Why did he decide to do this? Did Midoriya's connection to All Might actually have such an effect on him? Or perhaps, he'd just had enough and he wanted people to know. I had no idea.

"That thing that became a problem for the second and third generation after superpowers appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own Quirk and passing it onto your children, forcing people into marriage." Shoto's voice had grown harsh with anger as he continued. "The old-fashioned way of thinking brought about by a lack of ethics. He is a man with both accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold of my mother's Quirk."

I thought I couldn't be more surprised but apparently I was wrong. I leant on the wall behind me, needing the support as I listened. Shoto was the product of a Quirk marriage? I had never thought about it. I knew his mother wasn't around and the one time I had brought it up, the air around us had grown frosty and I decided it was a topic to avoid. I had assumed she was dead or had run off and left the family. I still didn't know if that was the case, but his mother had been forced into a marriage. Similar enough to how our betrothal had started.

"He is trying to fulfil his own desire by raising me to be a hero to surpass All Might. And he's made sure that the legacy of our family will continue. With Mirai as my own unwilling bride."

I actually heard Midoriya gasp at that and Bakugo turned to look at me for the first time with wide eyes. I ignored him as I strained to listen, my heart was beating loud enough that it was difficult.

"Mirai… although it's written off as a betrothal for business purposes, it's another Quirk marriage. Her family has next to nothing to offer him, except her Quirk. And he used her… he used her weakness to save her dying mother and manipulated her into an unfair agreement. She doesn't deserve this, she deserves better."

Tears stung my eyes as I listened to him. Poor Shoto. As the product of a Quirk marriage, he'd probably seen what it did to his mother. And now his father had forced someone, forced me, into it, where he would be forced to be the one who made his partner so unhappy. It wasn't true, but it was an obvious assumption, and it hurt to think that Shoto had been struggling with this when I had assumed he had just ignored the whole issue. When I had just assumed he didn't let it bother him, just calmly going along with his plans to end it once it suited best.

Guilt plagued me again. He didn't understand.

"It's so annoying… I won't become the tool of scum like that. I won't let him control either one of us… In my memories, my mother is always crying." He continued and the anger in his voice was starting to be replaced with another emotion. "'Your left side is unsightly,' my mother said as she poured boiling water on me."

 _Oh god._

I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stop myself from saying something as I slid down the wall to a seated position.

The scar on his face, I remembered wondering at first if he had hurt himself with his own quirk when he was young and couldn't control it. But _his mother had given it to him_. I could imagine him in my mind's eye, a poor young child. Scared and hurt and wondering why his mother hated half of his being.

No wonder he refused to use his left, if possibly one of the last memories of his mother was her giving him a permanent scar because of it. And no wonder he hated his father, hated him more than I could ever understand or comprehend. He probably knew it was his father's fault. If his mother, forced into a marriage against her will, had eventually been desperate enough to hurt her own child…

It was appalling.

"Basically, I picked a fight with you to show him what I can do, without using my damn old man's Quirk… No… I'll reject him completely by winning first place without using it."

 _This is a lot to take in_ , I thought. I could hear Midoriya and Shoto continuing to speak but ignored it, already having too much in my brain to process. I couldn't believe how much he'd been hiding. So much was making sense, so many things that I'd just made small assumptions about since he never opened up.

But now I knew, and granted, he had no idea I was aware, he'd only informed Midoriya, and Bakugo and I had eavesdropped the conversation. God, he probably never wanted me to hear that. But I didn't care, now that I knew, a lot of things came into focus.

"Tsk. This changes nothing." I heard above me and I looked up to see Bakugo glaring down at me as he walked calmly down the hall. Apparently he was done eavesdropping. I knew I should probably get up as well but I had to get myself under control first.

I held my face in my hands as I took deep breaths trying to calm myself.

Shoto's mother was forced into a marriage with Endeavor. She hated him, and thus, had learned to hate Shoto's left side, half of who he is. His scar, that prominent red scar that covered his left eye, the one I'd gotten used to so easily. It held such dark memories for him.

I wondered if I reminded Shoto of his mother. It seemed ridiculous, but it wouldn't be surprising. Another woman, stuck in a bad situation. If he did, he was wrong, and I didn't think Shoto knew that, but I was determined to let him know. He didn't deserve to be holding this misguided guilt over his head because he thought he was replaying the relationship between his father and mother with us. We were different, so different in so many ways.

Eventually I pulled myself off the ground and made my way back to the locker room, not missing it this time.

By the time I made it to lunch, the line for food was short and I quickly grabbed something to eat. I considered sitting with the boys but Bakugo had joined them, something he occasionally did these days, if Eijiro annoyed him enough. I decided I'd probably rather not have him potentially talk about the quirk marriage. After all, business betrothals were strange, but acceptable enough. Quirk marriages, not so much.

I made my way over to where I could see Momo, Kyoka, Mina and Toru sitting. They seemed to be having a tense discussion about something before I saw Momo disappear but I ignored it, just focused on my food. I felt so out of it after all that had happened, that I didn't even think about it when the girls pulled me aside just before lunch was ending and Kyoka thrust something at me, staring at it distastefully.

I blinked down at the orange cheerleading uniform. Where had this come from?

"Mirai, get changed quickly. Apparently we're required to do a cheerleading battle shortly." Momo informed me.

"Wait, what? I can't cheer." I tried to force the uniform back at them, shaking my head furiously, but they didn't take it.

"Please Mirai! Aizawa-sensei informed us apparently. In all the stress of the carnival I didn't remember it. But we can't disappoint our class."

I sighed and grudgingly took the uniform. If I'd been less distracted, maybe I would have thought more about it, but I didn't.

And that was how I found myself standing there with the other girls in the middle of the stadium. Face red in utter mortification as Present Mic asked us what we were doing.

My skirt felt like it was very high on my thighs and even though I knew my stomach was toned and fit, I felt super uncomfortable with it exposed.

I glared at Mineta and Denki, who I could see exchanging thumbs up not far away as the rest of the year stared at us.

Oh god, how could I have let this happen?

"Mineta! Kaminari! You tricked us, didn't you?!" Momo shouted in outrage as we glared at them. I couldn't believe I'd fallen for this. It was so obvious in hindsight, but I'd been distracted and the others had seemed so sure. Momo collapsed down to her knees in mortification and I considered comforting her, but right now there wasn't a lot I could do. "Why am I always caught up in Mineta's schemes? I even used Creation to make the outfits…"

My cheeks were a flaming red as I stared at the two boys. _Mineta, this wasn't surprising. But Denki? I was going to kill him._

"Oi! Kaminari!" I shouted as I began to walk over to them. Denki looked up and had the decent sense to pale and take a few steps backwards. "What is with the men in my life making dumb decisions?"

"I-it was just a joke, Mirai! C'mon, don't be like this! No one was hurt."

"Oh, someone's going to be hurt." I announced as I reached him and he gave out a terrified yell before he ran behind Eijiro and Hanta.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! We thought it would be funny! And hot… but we didn't mean for this to happen!" Eijiro and Hanta exchanged looks and they seemed to be deciding whether to let me through to him or not when Denki continued in a hiss. "Don't you dare let her get me! She's scary when she's mad!"

That seemed to be the deciding factor because the two exchanged a look and stepped apart from each other with matching grins.

I lunged in between them and Denki gave a yell of surprise as I grabbed him by the ear and forced him down to the ground next to me. Eijiro and Hanta burst out laughing beside us and I noticed that most of the rest of Class A was also watching, along with a few others.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! C'mon Mirai! I said I was sorry!" He pleaded and I scowled at him.

"You really thought this was a good joke, Denki? With _Mineta_?" I scolded him and Denki looked embarrassed for a moment, before he leaned around me to peak at the girls again. "Hey, hey! Baka!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face and twisted his ear slightly to bring his attention back to me. He whined in protest.

"C'mon Mirai! We didn't mean any harm! I'm sorry!"

"I'm in a _cheerleading_ outfit, Denki!"

Eijiro and Hanta's laughter got even louder at that and the girls made their way over.

"Aww, Kaminari! How come she touches you when you annoy her!" Mineta complained from beside us and I turned pink in anger and frustration. He was looking up at me with his mouth hanging slightly open and I scowled. How could he just never give up?

Hanta and Eijiro's laughter finally died off as they looked down at the purple-haired perv.

"Mineta, you're just lucky Todoroki hasn't decided to ice you yet." Hanta proclaimed and he gestured towards where Shoto was.

Shoto was standing off to the side, he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts as he stood on an angle, looking out at the crowd. However, at the sound of his name being called, we watched his eyes slide towards us, where they examined us before coming to rest on Mineta.

Mineta let out a shriek and ran behind Shoji, who looked less than impressed.

I let out a snort at that. It was unlikely Shoto would have done anything, but apparently the threat of being iced by the girl you were perving on's fiancée was too much pressure for him. I looked back and saw Shoto watching me, looking confused as he examined me. He was no doubt wondering what the hell was going on but he didn't say anything as his eyes flitted away again.

I felt something zap my fingers and yanked my hand away from where it was still holding Denki's ear.

"Ow! Denki!" I hissed in annoyance and he grinned cheekily at me. I sighed though and let him go. At least now he knew if he tried this again, it wouldn't end well for him.

Present Mic announced the next stage of the tournament and I turned my attention to the small stage where Midnight was standing.

"The last round is a tournament where we fight one-on-one, huh?" Eijiro said from next to me. He looked excited as we looked up at the screen that showed how it was structured. "I'm gonna stand on the stage that I watch every year on TV!"

"Was it a tournament last year?" Mina asked in confusion and I looked at her questioningly. There was always a one-on-one stage every year and since we hadn't had it yet, it made sense it was now. But perhaps she was just wondering if the one-on-one was structured the same every year. Hanta answered both our questions.

"It's different every year, but there's a one-on-one competition every year. Last year, it was a sports chanbara match."

"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket." Midnight announced, drawing the attention of the crowd. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength."

Yeah, I was pretty sure that I would not be participating in the recreational games. It sounded fun, but I had other things on my mind at the moment. My eyes drifted over to where Shoto stood.

"Now, from the first place team-" Midnight began before she was cut off. _Ojiro_. I tensed as I listened to him.

"Umm...! Excuse me. I'm withdrawing." He announced.

Those around us gasped in shock.

"Ojiro, why?" Midoriya turned to ask him.

"This is a rare chance for pros to see you!" Iida put in.

"I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end. I think it was that guy's Quirk. I know that this is a great chance and that it's foolish to waste it…"

"Ojiro-"

"But- Everyone here competed by giving their all! I can't… I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened."

"You're worrying too much about it!" Toru tried to tell him and I couldn't help but be relieved that the rest of the class didn't quite see his way. It made the guilt that was creeping its way back up about my decision ease slightly. "You should just make sure you produce results in the finals!"

"If you're gonna say that, I didn't do anything either."

"That's not it… I'm talking about my pride here… I can't…" Ojiro continued and my heart panged at how upset he was about this, it really meant a lot to him. "Also, why are you guys wearing cheerleader outfits?"

All the girls turned red at that and Denki's face lit up. I elbowed him sharply in the ribs and he let out an 'oof' as my own face turned pink. _This sucks._

Another boy stepped forward and I didn't recognise him, however I was surprised when he spoke. Apparently, he was on our team for it. I hadn't even noticed him… so out of it when I came out of the trance.

"I'm Nirengeki Shoda from Class B. I also want to withdraw for the same reason. Regardless of ability, don't you think it goes against the goal of this sports festival for those who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"

"What's with these guys? They're so manly!" Eijiro exclaimed emotionally as he watched him and I turned away from the scene. I could feel eyes on me and I tensed, hoping they weren't going to call me out, expecting me to also withdraw. But I couldn't do that. No, I had to keep going.

Yes, I still felt bad about the second round. But it didn't change anything.

Midnight accepted their withdrawal's though and I kept my eyes down, avoiding eye contact as she continued speaking. I felt someone come up to my side and a voice spoke.

"H-Himori?"

I turned in surprise to look at Midoriya and he smiled shyly at me.

"I'm glad you didn't withdraw." He said quietly and I felt relief fill me as I gave him a large genuine smile.

"Thanks Midoriya. I just… I couldn't back down. I've spent too long waiting for this to let something like that stop me." He smiled at me again, looking pleased before nodding.

Midnight asked for those of us competing to come up and draw lots with a 'ladies first' and a wink and I made my way up to draw a number out of the box she held.

Soon enough, the final bracket was shown on the screen and I looked up at it.

My first opponent was Mina. Followed by – if I won – either Bakugo or Uraraka and dread filled my stomach.

I couldn't win against Bakugo.

Mina turned to look at me excitedly and I smiled at her, trying to match her enthusiasm.

"This is going to be awesome! Let's do our best, Mirai!" She grinned and gave me a hug and I laughed.

"No holding back?"

"No holding back!"

I knew she meant it and I grinned. Mina would be a fierce opponent, there was a chance I wouldn't even get to fight Bakugo, and there was also the chance that Ochaco could beat him.

Ojiro called out to me and I turned to him with a bittersweet smile. He seemed fine with his decision though. "I want to warn Midoriya. His first opponent is that guy, Shinso, will you come with me?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get involved in this. I understood why Ojiro wanted to warn him, he was our friend, but I didn't think I could get involved. What Shinso had done was not okay - except that, technically, it was okay – but I couldn't purposefully ruin his chances of winning by informing his opponent of his Quirk. It was unfair, and as someone who also had to deal with not having a physical Quirk to rely on, I just couldn't be involved in that.

"I'm sorry, Ojiro, but I can't. I have to do something else right now." I told him, and it wasn't a lie. My eyes drifted towards where Shoto was eyeing the screen before he turned away and walked out of the stadium.

Ojiro smiled and nodded at me though, seeming okay with having to talk to Midoriya alone, and I watched him walk over towards where Midoriya was being approached by Shinso. I frowned at him.

"Mirai! Mina! Tsuyu!" Ochaco rushed over to where we were standing, I didn't even realise Tsuyu had joined us. She was followed by an extremely excited Toru, along with Kyoka and Momo, who looked anything but excited. "Let's cheer everyone on for the recreation games! It'll be fun!"

Kyoka scoffed at that, her arms crossed and covering her stomach as she scowled at the ground and Momo looked hesitant.

"Oohh! I'm so excited! Let's do it!" Mina exclaimed from beside me and she threw her hands in the air, shaking her pompoms furiously.

I shook my head and backed up a few steps. _Oh no, I had enough to do today_. "Sorry girls! I can't I actually have to go deal with something right now…"

They pouted but something on my face must have told them that I was in fact, unavailable for this. Momo sighed and I heard Kyoka mutter a "lucky" under her breath. I smiled at them and left them to their business. I hadn't even left the stadium when I heard Toru and Mina coming up with a chant.

Once I was outside the stadium I paused, leaning against the wall. I needed a moment to just let everything that had happened today sink in. I knew this would be a big day, but oh boy, a lot had happened. And I had a few things to deal with but first…

Shoto.

I needed to talk to him. There was a lot of things that were important right now but I felt like this topped the list. My heart ached as I thought about him and what I'd overheard him saying. His father. His mother. Me.

I stood there for a while, trying to calm my racing thoughts before I decided it was time. I reached out with my foresight, searching for him. It was kind of like how I planned on finding people in wreckage and such so it was probably good practice. I viewed my future going in every direction until I found the one where I saw him. Eventually, I found him and slowly made my way to where he was, after a quick stop at the locker room.

Shoto was on the other side of the stadium to the main entrance, by one of the corners. It was dark, the forest canopy leaving the place in shadows. I watched him as I approached, he was crouched on his haunches against the wall, his arms resting on his legs, head bowed, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

Once I was only a few metres away from him I cleared my throat to alert him of my presence.

He didn't move, but he spoke quietly. "Shouldn't you be cheerleading or something?"

I felt a small flush on my face when I realised I had forgotten to change out of the cheerleading costume at the locker room before I came, oh well, I didn't care about that right now.

I took a deep breath.

"I overheard your conversation with Midoriya… I'm sorry, I didn't know about your mother."

Shoto visibly tensed at that but he didn't move otherwise.

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Then you don't have to talk. Just listen." I closed the distance beside us and sat back against the wall beside him. He tried to stand up when he realised what I was doing and I grabbed his arm before he could leave. I could feel the slight heat caused by his Quirk emanating from it. "Please. Just listen okay?"

He let out a huff of annoyance but sat back down, this time properly as he stretched his legs out in front of him slightly. I released his arm as I settled down beside him. He still hadn't looked at me but I felt like that was actually better for this.

"Do you remember when I told you that I've wanted to be a hero since I was ten?" I asked him and he didn't respond.

Once again, I hadn't really expected him to, so it made it easy to continue.

"When I was eight, I saw a vision of my father dead. It terrified me but when nothing happened we just assumed it was a normal nightmare. Two years later he died – the same way I'd seen – and I knew what I saw wasn't a coincidence. I'd never felt so hopeless. It was that which made me decide that I wanted to be a hero. Because I was helpless to stop it, and I didn't want that happening to anyone else. I've trained almost every day since then, working towards me going to UA, but then mom got sick. And I've told you what happened there. But what you seem to have missed, Shoto, was that it was _my_ decision to accept the betrothal, and I have _never_ regretted it."

I turned to look at him but Shoto was still and silent. He stared out into the forest in front of us with a hard look on his face.

"I know your father gave you no choice in the matter, which is why I was fine with your plan to end the engagement after today. It's all your decision. But before you do, I just wanted you to realise something. _I_ was the one who chose to accept it on my behalf. And I could have broken it myself at any time if I wanted to, but I didn't. Yes, it was because my mother still needed her treatment, but I'm still my own person and if I truly thought it was going to make my life worse I would have told Endeavor to stick it."

I thought I saw his lips twitch at and he actually spoke in response. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes. I do." I snapped back, I was getting on a roll. "I made a gamble when I accepted the betrothal based on a picture your father sent of you. And I decided that I could risk things going badly to save my mother because I thought you looked like a good person. You know, if I needed to, I could have ended the betrothal, dropped out of school, and found work to eventually pay off the bills. But I didn't, because I wanted more than that and I trusted you. You haven't let me down in that regard and you've still continued to do so, even after you said you were ending it."

I unclenched my other hand, which had been balled in a fist since I arrived and held out what I was holding to Shoto. It was his bank card. He looked at it with narrow eyes, but before he could say anything I kept talking.

"Shoto… my mother finished her treatment four weeks ago."

That got a reaction out of him and Shoto turned his head to look at me, wide-eyed in surprise. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I continued, this time I was the one who looked away.

"She finished her treatment, and they put her in remission two weeks ago. She's actually coming back home on the weekend." I allowed a smile at that and Shoto watched me as I continued to talk. "We… _I_ … haven't needed your money in weeks. I wanted to tell you at the park but you caught me off guard. Her hospital fees are almost done and anything more that we need to pay, we still have the money for. If I had wanted to I easily could have ended this engagement whenever I wanted, but I didn't."

I sighed, this was tough.

"I didn't end the engagement, because despite the circumstances of how it started… knowing you has been a very good thing for me. I didn't end it because I didn't feel a need to, I was content with our relationship… and… I felt like we needed each other."

Shoto sucked in an audible breath at that and I could still feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't look at him.

"You have your own issues with Endeavor to sort out, I understand that. But please don't place the burden of our betrothal on your shoulders as well, okay? I chose this. It's very different to what happened to your mother, alright? You go ahead and spite your father because he's an asshole – which he is. But please don't hurt yourself over me, okay?"

Shoto just watched me, looking slightly overwhelmed at all I'd said and I took his hand and placed the bank card in it. For a moment, I allowed my grip on his hand to tighten as I looked at him, my blue eyes meeting his own mismatched gaze, before I pulled away. Shoto's hand closed around the card and I didn't know if he was just holding it or if he was chasing the ghost of my own hand.

I stood up and turned around, walking away before my emotions got the better of me. I heard him shift behind me and he called out my name.

"Mirai-"

"And Shoto," I cut him off as I turned back to him, not wanting to hear what he was going to say right now. He was standing, having taken a few steps towards me and he was looking at me with a vulnerable expression. "I know it isn't my place to say. But just so you know, you are more than the product of your parents. You're your own person and your Quirk, your _whole_ Quirk… is _yours_. Please don't forget that, okay? You get to decide who you are, not him."

I didn't stay around to see what he thought of what I said. I'd intruded on his time enough. I sincerely hoped I hadn't thrown him off his game because of it. But I knew he'd be fine.

When I rounded the corner, and approached the gate back into the stadium I finally allowed myself to freak out at what I'd said.

 _Holy shit. What have I done?_

I tried to calm my rapid heartrate but it wasn't working. I couldn't believe I'd just said that.

 _"I felt like we needed each other."_

I knew, and he knew, that we didn't _need_ each other. Need wasn't the right word for what I had meant, technically it probably should have been want and I felt my cheeks flush in mortification as I thought about Shoto deciphering that.

But this conversation had been a long time coming. Looking at it, it was kind of obvious.

Like I'd told him. From when I first saw his photo, I'd decided to trust him. It was a bit of a stupid decision but there was just something in his face. And now after the last four months, things had changed a lot. I'd say he was my friend but I knew it was more than that.

I liked him.

I liked his multi-coloured hair and his mismatched eyes. I liked his quiet aura where he rarely ever seemed bothered by something enough to respond.

I liked that he was always so calm and rational in situations, and he trusted me as a source of information. I liked that he secretly listened to me when we were at the park and brought me my favourite food when I was in hospital. I liked the way he made me feel safe.

And I liked the way that he cared enough about me to try and remove me from a situation he thought I was being used in. That part also annoyed me that he was carrying the weight of his father on his shoulders but that wasn't the point.

I sighed, I didn't even know if my feelings were returned. I knew Shoto cared for me but to what extent? And it didn't really matter anyway, he was determined to show his father that he wasn't a tool.

If that meant calling off the engagement and having nothing to do with me, I would be happy for him. As long as he really was removing himself from an unwanted situation.

I heard Present Mic announcing that the recreational games were coming to an end shortly and I sighed as I made my way back into the stadium.

* * *

 **Woah! Long chapter! So much shit, amiright?**

 **With the whole Shinso thing, I feel like Mirai isn't the type to hold grudges forever. She likes to think about peoples motivations for things, and since she already has an understanding of Shinso she's quite sympathetic to him. That doesn't mean she's like 'yeah we're good, hug it out'. But she gets him.**

 **Now for Ojiro, I originally intended for him to be convinced by Mirai to stay but then I decided that was unfair on Ojiro's character. He heard all the logical arguments you could bring forth but it was his belief system so she decided whatever. But that's his beliefs and not hers. So she's determined to stay and the fact that the others pulled out may have a bit of an effect on her in either the next chapter or the chapter after, you'll have to see.**

 **Also Mirai is putting a few more pieces together in the Midoriya-All Might puzzle! We'll have to see where she goes with it. I didn't intend that at first but as a lot of writers probably find, every now and then things just pop up from under your nose.**

 **And all that stuff with Mirai and Shoto. Oh wow. That took a long time to write because I'd been looking forward to writing that last scene since I first thought of this fic. I hope you enjoyed it though :D**

 **Just in case you were wondering. Yeah, Mirai was definitely upset about having to accept a betrothal but she decided her mum getting better and her going to UA was a lot better than any other arrangement. She saw the photo of Shoto and trusted him to not be abusive or an asshole, but she knew if he was she could have gotten out of it. It would have meant no hero school but she could live with that.**

 **Also I'm sorry, I know I said I'd reply to people's reviews in this chapter but I'm feeling emotionally drained after dealing with Mirai and Shoto. So I'll do it NEXT chapter!**

 **But I want to thank everyone who does leave reviews though! I read all of them and come up with responses in my head but I never get around to writing them down. It means a lot to me.**

 **If you haven't, you should definitely favorite and follow this so other people can find it!**

 **Thanks guys! Next up! The one vs. one battles!**

 ***and I'll reply to reviews***


	16. The tournament continues

**Hey guys! Wow I'm sorry! I didn't mean to leave the next update this long. I wanted to get it out earlier BEFORE life got busy but I didn't manage it. Anyway, Uni started back up this week so I've been pretty busy the last two weeks moving back for it and organising things etc.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Some parts of this chapter were hard to write and it always surprises me that it isn't what I thought would be difficult. I'll be updating less regularly now (probably once a week, except for the next chapter) but don't worry, the updates will still come!**

 **Please favorite, follow, review! It really helps motivate me to continue writing! :D**

* * *

Once I was back in the stadium, I finally changed out of the ridiculous cheerleading costume and back into my UA sports uniform.

Before today, we'd been told Class 1A had a reserved section up in the stands somewhere, so I made my way to it, absorbed in my own thoughts. The first match would be starting soon. Mina and I were the second last match of the first round and I wasn't sure yet whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When I arrived, majority of the class was there except for Midoriya, Hanta and Shoto. I assumed that the latter two were in the waiting rooms, preparing for their own matches. I was secretly thankful that Shoto wasn't already here when I arrived as I took a seat in between Ochaco and Momo.

"You guys feeling ready?" I asked them. Momo gave me a small nod and a tentative "yeah", while Ochaco nodded her head furiously. I could feel the nervous energy coming off both of them in waves and sighed. It certainly wasn't making me feel any better.

Watching the first two fights was difficult. I knew it didn't matter how Midoriya and Shinso's fight would end, I would be disappointed either way. I may have been angry at Shinso but that didn't mean I didn't want him to succeed in his dreams.

I was pretty sure there were dents in the seat I was sitting on from where I'd been clutching the sides so tightly. The fight may not have been exciting, but it was tense. When Midoriya was finally announced the winner, my heart went out to Shinso. I really hoped he dealt with the defeat okay, he'd made it quite far already though so hopefully he would be content with it.

Shoto and Hanta's fight though… that was something else.

I gaped alongside the rest of class A at the huge wall of ice that covered the stadium. I'd never seen anything like it, I hadn't even realised that Shoto could make it. Hanta had tried to get the drop on him and it clearly hadn't worked.

The stadium's temperature had dropped significantly as soon as the giant ice wall had appeared and I tried to avoid shivering as I watched. Poor Hanta. The stadium started chanting "Don't worry about it!" as we all watched the scene. He'd been so close. But I watched as Shoto walked towards him, no doubt to let him out of his ice prison.

There was tension lining his shoulders and my stomach twisted. I had a moment of wondering if I had been the cause of his emotional outburst. Surely not though.

Once Shoto had released Hanta from the ice he turned and walked off the stage. I watched him leave with a pain in my heart, but I knew there was nothing I could do. This was Shoto's fight. I'd said my piece, he needed to decide who he was.

Present Mic announced that there'd be a short break to deal with the ice still covering the stadium and I zoned out, ignoring the class around me talking about what they'd just seen. The only one who was being quiet was Midoriya, I noticed. He was probably also still caught up in what it all meant.

When Hanta walked through the door later, I wasn't surprised to find that Shoto had not arrived to sit with us. I guessed that he was probably elsewhere in the stadium, either to focus himself or avoid people. I wasn't sure if he was avoiding Midoriya, Hanta or even me though and another pang went through my chest when I thought about him. But those thoughts would have to wait.

"Hey Sero! Are you alright?"

"That sucks, man!"

"You were so close!"

"Don't worry about it!"

"What was up with Todoroki?"

Hanta looked kind of uncomfortable with all the comments, probably still a bit heartsore after his defeat, so he turned the conversation to me at that last question.

"I don't know, what is Todoroki's deal, Mirai?" He asked, his voice filled with complaint and disappointment.

I sighed, looking down at my hands that were twisted together in my lap anxiously. I think they'd been that way for a while.

"I don't know… something's bothering him though. I know he would never normally do something like that to you, Hanta. I'm sorry he took it out on you."

Hanta frowned as he sat down. "Yeah that's what he said. When he was defrosting me from a human icicle he told me he was sorry and that he was angry about something. I've no idea what it was though."

I hummed, feeling another frown form on my face as a thought popped into my head. I turned my eyes out to the crowd, and found I couldn't see Endeavor anymore. He had popped up in the crowd just in time to watch Shoto's match and had disappeared just as quickly. I knew he was probably the cause of it. If there was one thing I knew about Shoto, it was that few things could make him lose control and his father was near the top of the list.

Thankfully the conversation moved on quickly as the next fight started and I was allowed to brood in my thoughts.

I was only vaguely aware of the rest of the fights going on until Mina tapped me on the shoulder and told me it was time and we should probably head down. I nodded. _Show time_.

We made our way to the waiting rooms in silence, too nervous to try keeping appearances, and when we reached the rooms, Mina just gave me a small smile and a nod before she went through the door. I sighed, entering my own waiting room and sitting on one of the chairs.

I crossed my arms on the table in front of me and let my head fall to rest on them as I thought.

Mina was a strong opponent. I recalled that on the first day of school she had beaten me in the Quirk apprehension test, even though her acid had not been that helpful for it. So, I already had that to contend with, even though in later hero training that we did, we beat each other fairly evenly.

Speaking of, her Quirk helped her mobility and also caused an issue for me since she could use it at a longer range than any of my attacks. If I wanted to knock Mina out I'd have to either dodge her attacks to get in close or somehow convince her into close combat. Easier said than done, but I knew I'd have to find a way to do it.

 _What could I do…_

I didn't really focus on much as I made my way out to the stadium and I pulled myself out of my thoughts when Present Mic began speaking.

"And now for the seventh match! She made her presence well known in the first qualifier and then faded into obscurity during the cavalry battle! From the hero course, it's Mirai Himori!"

I smiled up at the crowd that had started cheering wildly, and gave a small wave, trying to look confident and act like I had a plan. I _did_ have a plan, but it was still nerve wracking.

"Versus! Is something going to come out of those horns? Well? From the hero course, it's Mina Ashido!"

Mina grinned at me and there was something fierce in it as I looked at her. I returned the gesture, jumping up and down for a moment to get the blood pumping and letting my Quirk come to the forefront. I was still aware of what was happening around me, but right now most of my attention was on the future.

"Now, why don't we get moving? Seventh match, start!"

I saw Mina form a handful of acid and throw it at me but I was long gone by the time it reached where I was. She scowled, her face filled with determination as she continued to lob acid at me, moving her way around the stage as she did. I dodged her attacks, bidding my time.

Mina would need to get close to me in order to knock me out, her acid was too dangerous to do the job. I had guessed earlier that her plan would be to weaken me with the acid and distract me before she made her way in to knock me out.

I wouldn't let it be that easy.

All I needed for now was to avoid her until she decided to come into close combat anyway. I could hear Present Mic saying something about a cat and mouse game but I ignored him as we continued our dance around the field.

Some drops of acid occasionally landed on me but they were small enough to barely burn through my clothes and leave a few stings as I leapt and dove around the arena. Mina followed me carefully with her eyes as the match continued.

Eventually, it happened. After a couple of minutes, Mina had obviously had enough of trying to hit me with acid and came in for close combat instead. She probably figured we were fifty-fifty in terms of who would come out on top of this, which was the best odds she could get right now. That was probably true. But I was fired up.

She swung at me and I ducked, sweeping a leg out to knock her over but she jumped to avoid it and twirled away.

Now that we were in full combat mode I executed the rest of my plan, slowly making my way towards the edge were the boundary line was.

Mina didn't notice, she appeared to be growing more excited, obviously thinking I was retreating. But no, that was not the case. When we were close enough to the edge, I lunged at her, getting in a punch to her gut which she retaliated with a knee to the ribs. I grunted but ignored it, taking a step back. Mina grinned at me before, lunging herself and I ducked.

I saw her eyes widen as she realised how close we'd gotten to the boundary line but by then it was too late. I grabbed her arm, using my body and momentum to swing her over the line. She hit the ground with a grunt and the crowd roared.

"Ashido is out of bounds! Himori advances!" Midnight called and I grinned, my chest feeling light.

I stepped over to Mina and held out my hand which she accepted gratefully. She seemed to be taking her loss pretty well though since she smiled at me.

"Man, so close! I didn't even see that coming!" She exclaimed and I laughed and gave her a wink.

"Of course you didn't see it coming, that's my Quirk." I teased and she let out a laugh as we made our way off the stage. "Don't worry though, next year!"

Mina scoffed. "Please, I'm not waiting until next year. I'll kick your butt in training next week!" She announced.

I laughed again as we walked towards the exit, absently rubbing one of the red spots on my arm from where her acid had hit.

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

I had to go and find a new uniform since mine had a few holes in it now, so by the time I made it back to the rest of the class, the match between Ochaco and Bakugo was coming to an end. My heart sank as I stood in the isle, surveying the destruction down on the field. Ochaco was collapsed on the ground with Bakugo standing over her. Midnight was making her way over to them.

"What happened?" Mina, who had come with me, asked in shock.

"Bakugo went full on! He didn't hold back at all."

"Well, he shouldn't. Uraraka almost beat him."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. As much as I had hoped it would be an even fight, a part of me had expected Bakugo to be relentless.

"Yeah it was so cool!" Toru put in. "She collected all this rubble and floated it and then brought it down at Bakugo! She nearly had him but then he blew it all up in one go! It was crazy!"

"Huh," I thought, looking down at the arena. Midnight had announced the match and they were preparing to take Ochaco to Recovery Girl. I assumed she must be alright in general, since nobody was panicking.

My eyes narrowed as I surveyed Bakugo. He was watching Ochaco leave with a contemplating look, perhaps her attack had really surprised him. I noticed he was also holding his arm like it was hurt.

"How big was the explosion?" I asked curiously.

"Huge! There was smoke everywhere! The only time it's been close to that was when he used his gauntlets against All Might at USJ. I didn't realise he could make them that big without them!"

I frowned in contemplation but didn't say anything out loud. But it made be curious. I didn't think on it too long though as Present Mic announced they'd be starting the next round after Eijiro and the guy from Class B, Tetsutetsu, I thought his name was, had settled their tie.

We watched their arm wrestle. Cheering furiously for Eijiro, who eventually emerged victorious and I grinned as the class started discussing everything that had happened in the first round.

After the first round, only one competitor was not from Class A, which may have suggested something, although I did wonder if it was just by happenchance. Midoriya, Todoroki, Iida, Tokoyami, Eijiro, Bakugo and I were left, along with a girl from Class B - I think her name was Shiozaki. From what I recalled of her fight with Denki, she could control and grow out her hair, which was made of vines. I thought it was quite a cool Quirk.

Surprisingly, the second round began almost immediately and I found myself standing up at the front of the box, ignoring the people talking behind me. The class left me to myself as I bounced anxiously on my feet, watching Present Mic announce Shoto and Midoriya. I couldn't see their faces from the distance and I worried that Shoto had that cold, detached look present on his face.

I turned to the others as Shoto and Midoriya stepped on to the platform and braced themselves to begin.

"I wish I could see their faces... I want to know what they're thinking… what their battle plans are."

The others were now too absorbed watching themselves, but Iida frowned at me in confusion.

"What do you mean, Himori? Can you not see their faces from this distance?" He asked quizzically and I felt my heart stop.

I immediately turned back to the centre of the stadium, ignoring Iida's confusion as my thoughts raced. I hadn't realised.

I'd used my Quirk a lot today, with the robots, the minefield, against Mina. My vision _was_ beginning to get damaged. And _I hadn't even noticed_.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my rapid heartrate, but I didn't think it was going to do any good. Now that I thought about it, we were far away, but not far enough that I shouldn't have been able to see their faces. In fact, I remembered before my fight with Mina, I had been able to make out other details about them. Details I now couldn't. The loss had been so insignificant and gradual that I hadn't even noticed it happening. I'd been so sure earlier that there wasn't anything happening.

I'd spent a long time training, but of course, it wouldn't be fixed instantly. Now that I knew that the damage could be repaired, I felt slightly better. But I would definitely need Recovery Girl to heal me before my eyesight returned to normal. And this showed that my problem wasn't just going to disappear forever.

I tried to ignore the newfound dread in my stomach. I should have expected this, but it didn't make it easier.

I heard a small explosion and focused back on the arena just in time to feel a rush of freezing cold air try to push me backwards. I gripped the railing in front of me, my hair blowing wildly around my face as I looked down at the platform. From what I could see, Shoto had sent an ice attack at Midoriya, who had in turn blocked it by breaking his finger.

I could hear the crowd reacting in surprise before Shoto sent another wave of ice that Midoriya blocked again. My eyes focused in on the two small figures below me. This fight was risky. They were both strong, but Midoriya's Quirk came with a cost, and I knew Shoto's did as well. And from the look of it, neither one of them planned on backing down.

I watched with bated breath as the fight continued, with Midoriya continuing to injure himself and I noticed Shoto's Quirk was beginning to take a toll on him. Frustration built inside me as I watched. But it wasn't my place to interfere, _not like I could anyway_.

The fight seemed to be in slow motion for me, but I knew it wasn't. I watched as Midoriya continued to damage his body and Shoto was slowing down significantly. The class continued to gasp in shock behind me, but I didn't move from my place at the railing, despite the occasional gale-force winds from the arena.

The match continued and escalated. Their attacks grew messy and as I watch, I could make out Midoriya's voice over the crowd. He seemed to be conveying something, although I couldn't make out what was being said. But whatever he said, it made Shoto pause.

I felt the change just before it happened. It was like something in my mind, something that was connected with the visions I saw of Shoto, just slid into place.

Shoto's left side began to blaze with fire.

The crowd yelled in surprise and I could feel the heat from where I stood. It was incredible. The fire extended, growing bigger and I felt like I was sitting feet from a camp fire, rather than watching a fight from the stands.

I couldn't believe he was using it. What had gotten through to him? I wasn't sure what to feel as I watched the arena. Shock, awe, happiness, worry. Shoto was finally not fighting himself. And I was so glad, but was he ready? This had been what I hoped for but it was such a drastic change from only a few hours earlier. I hoped he was ready, I believed so. And I wanted to help him through it, if he let me.

"Shoto!" A voice shouted, echoing over the noise in the stadium and I turned to see Endeavor, watching from near the other side of the stadium. "Have you finally accepted yourself?! That's it! Good! It all starts from here for you! With my blood, you will surpass me… You will fulfil my desire! From you, the Todoroki family will rise as the greatest in history!"

I gaped, and could tell many people were also surprised by the scene in front of us. For just a moment, I thought I saw Shoto's head turn towards where I was watching. Like he'd earlier taken note of where our viewing box was. I wondered if I could see him clearly, our eyes would meet. But before I could think too long on it, he turned back to Midoriya and they braced to continue their fight.

 _Good god, was this really necessary?_

Apparently, I wasn't the only one, wondering about the safety of the fight at this point.

Now that Shoto was using his fire, he had essentially returned to fully charged. His power seemed limitless and a part of me was very scared of that. But Midoriya was definitely not the same. Even from the distance, despite the fact that he was so severely hurt, I could tell he wasn't giving up. I could hear Cementoss and Midnight preparing, and then attempting to stop the fight, but it was too late.

Midoriya launched himself across the platform towards Shoto, who's power was reaching its peak and I was almost too awed watching it, to react in time.

I ducked just as the explosion blew through the stadium.

It was so powerful, I wouldn't have been surprised if people heard it from far outside the grounds. I noticed Shoji had to physically grab Mineta to stop him from being blown away as the rest of the class shielded their faces from the blast.

Eventually the force dissipated, and I stood up again, leaning over the railing to try and see into the arena. It was filled with steam and smoke and I couldn't see anything below it.

"What was that just now…? What the heck is up with your class?" Present Mic's voice echoed through the silent stadium. The crowd was quiet as we waited with bated breath to see what had occurred.

"The air that had been cooled thoroughly was suddenly heated up and expanded." Aizawa announced like it was the most rational thing on the planet and I almost scoffed at that. _That's not what I thought would happen_. I wondered if that was Shoto's intention with that. If he was now willing to use his fire, could he really produce such powerful shows of force like this?

"That's what created this explosion…?" Present Mic continued, sounding equally surprised. "Just how hot was that?! Jeez, I can't see a thing! Hey, who won the match?"

The steam was beginning to disappear, and I could make out Midnight, slowly standing as she surveyed the wreckage around her. Parts of the platform were becoming visible and you could see how damaged it was.

Eventually the stadium grew into focus and we watched as Midoriya slumped to the ground near the stadium wall, unconscious. He looked like he'd seen better days. Shoto was still standing in the middle of the arena, staring at Midoriya's slumped form.

Midnight announced Shoto as the winner and the crowd roared in excitement.

Nobody said a word in the space reserved for Class A. Everyone was quiet for different reasons though. Worry for Midoriya, shock at the entire fight, surprise at Shoto using his fire, fear that this was our competition, and they'd both given it their all to a new extreme.

Denki was the one who broke the silence first, and then it was like a tidal wave of chatter.

"Wow... I can't believe Midoriya kept going!"

"Todoroki used his fire! I don't think he's used it with us, right?"

"So manly!"

"But did you see that explosion?!"

"How come Midnight and Cementoss didn't stop the fight earlier?"

"I hope Deku is alright!" Ochaco input worriedly as she held her hands to her face. We watched as Midoriya was placed on a stretcher and no doubt wheeled towards where Recovery Girl's office was.

"It was irrational for Midoriya to continue to fight, despite the odds he faced." Momo announced from her seat. Her face showed her annoyance and obvious disapproval of such actions, and although I understood Midoriya's reasoning, I had to agree with Momo.

"Yes, indeed." Tokoyami replied solemnly. "But Midoriya does not seem to care for injuries to himself. Perhaps he finds his honour far more important."

"A stupid decision." Kyoka quipped and I agreed with her as well. But the whole thing had me wondering… Surely Midoriya had known that, under the circumstances, there was no way he could win the fight. Why had he kept going? Wasn't it more admirable to accept that you couldn't defeat your opponent? To understand your limitations and not cause yourself unnecessary harm?

I wondered what Midoriya's reasoning was…

"I'm going to go check on Deku!" Ochaco announced, standing abruptly. She was obviously anxious and I saw Iida nod, standing up next to her.

"I agree. We should ensure he is alright."

"He's going to Recovery Girl, what more do you need, Iida?" Denki teased and I cuffed him over the head as I, in turn, stood and approached the exit.

"I'll come too." I informed them and I noted Tsuyu and surprisingly, Mineta also stand and approach. Although I supposed that the three of them had been stuck together during USJ. It made sense that they had grown closer.

We made our way out of the viewing box and down the hallways. Everyone was silent as we walked, no doubt caught up in their own thoughts after the fight we'd witnessed. I was still shocked myself.

 _Shoto used his fire._

I wanted so desperately to know what was happening in his head, but I also thought that I probably didn't want to know all the thoughts that he had.

When we were at the park on afternoons, when he wasn't listening to me, is this what happened? His memories of his childhood and the decisions he'd made since then. Did they haunt him? Swirling around in his head, constantly? What was his mind space now?

When we rounded the corner approaching Recovery Girl's office, I noticed another figure at the other end of the hallway. I could tell by the mismatched hair that it was Shoto.

Ochaco and Iida obviously saw my distraction and they both gave me a nod before they walked up to Recovery Girl's office with Tsuyu and Mineta to see Midoriya. I, however, continued walking, calling out to Shoto as I did.

He looked up upon hearing his name but didn't seem to respond otherwise. He looked entirely trapped in his own thoughts as I approached him. It wasn't until I was too close to stop that I realised an important detail.

Shoto's shirt had been all but destroyed in the fight. Half of the top of his uniform was gone, incinerated by fire, I assumed. I could see his chest and stomach, no longer hidden away under clothing.

I felt a huge blush take over my face as I briefly eyed the toned muscle and smooth skin and I'm pretty sure, to my horror, that I let out a small 'eep!' at the sight of it.

Shoto finally seemed to focus on me and he watched me with a complicated look on his face.

"What's wrong? You look weird."

"I-… uhh.. i-it's nothing! Don't worry about it!" I stammered, avoiding looking at him.

Of course, I knew Shoto was well muscled underneath his clothing. Even though we were both fifteen, our chosen career choices had had an effect on our bodies. But the hypotheticals were all very different to actually seeing it in person. I found I couldn't concentrate, it was like my brain had just turned to mush.

"Are you sure?" Shoto asked, looking innocently confused by my flustered appearance. "If you need to see Recovery Girl before-"

"It's fine, Shoto. Trust me." I managed to give him a small smile before hurriedly changing topics. "So, that was quite the fight."

That brought his attention away from me, although I didn't like watching his face grow even darker in consideration. He raised his left hand and stared at it for a moment. I watched him, unsure what to say.

"I… I intended to think it over. What you said… I needed time… But Midoriya didn't give that to me. I'm not sure anymore. It's confusing." He brought his eyes back up to look at me, and I found that I could actually see the struggle going on inside of him. "For so long, I've despised this part of me."

We stared at each other for a moment and I grimaced. I wasn't sure that anything I could say could make him feel better. But perhaps I could still try and help.

"Shoto… the fire is a part of you. There's nothing you can do to change that, and I think that you should consider it a gift, rather than a curse. Think about all you could do with it. _All the_ _people you could help, the villains you could stop_." I took a step closer to him, and slowly raised my hand towards his face. I wasn't sure what I intended to do, but I saw his eyes widen and I hesitated, allowing my hand to drop back to my side. "I meant what I said, your Quirk belongs to you, and you alone."

Shoto frowned, and watched me for a moment. "I heard your voice in my head… when… Midoriya told me it was my power… just like when you told me it was my Quirk. But it was still given to me by my father. I don't know if I can move on."

He turned his head to stare at one of the walls beside us and I sighed. I watched him for a moment, surveying the darkened scar around his eye. An injury no child should have received from an unstable mother. He had a lot to figure out.

"It…" I paused, trying to find the words. "It doesn't have to be an immediate thing, Shoto. Change happens gradually, and I know you'll figure it out. But for the record, I think you should use your power. Don't let your father hold you back, you deserve more than that."

He turned back to me and he looked like he was going to say something. I decided I needed to cut this conversation short. If it had to do with our betrothal, I couldn't fit anything else on my plate. I shouldn't have even made room for Shoto's struggle with his Quirk, but I knew now that he'd probably stay near the top of my priorities for certain matters.

I turned away from him with a small smile and a nod and made my way back to where Recovery Girl's office was. As I walked, Shoto called out to me.

"Mirai," he began and despite myself, I paused. "You're versing Bakugo in your next fight."

He stated it like it was the forecast for tomorrow but both of us knew there was more to it than that right now. I turned back to him and gave another nod in reply as he surveyed me.

"You can't win."

Frustration bubbled up in my chest, not because he was saying it, but because we both knew it was true. Even with my Quirk, defeating Bakugo was a near insurmountable task. But the things that I had discovered over the last few weejs, along with the fact that my eyes were getting more damaged every time I used my Quirk. They were both very bad signs as to how our fight would go. I sighed.

"I know."

"What are you going to do?" Shoto asked calmly.

"I'm going to fight like a hero." I said simply, before walking away.

What that entailed right now, I wasn't sure. This was yet another reason I had wanted to visit Midoriya. I wanted to ask him about his fight with Shoto, and why he had kept going, despite knowing he couldn't win.

When I reached Recovery Girl's office, Iida, Ochaco, Tsuyu and Mineta were no longer there and I was surprised that they'd kept their visit so short. Then again, perhaps they didn't want to miss the next rounds of the tournament, especially Iida, who was next. I saw Midoriya laying in the hospital bed and I smiled and gave him a quiet hello. He looked quite downtrodden, and I had no doubt it was because he was learning the severity of his actions.

That was when I noticed the other man in the room and I almost jumped a foot in the air when I realised that it was the person who I'd seen in my vision at USJ. The man All Might turned into before Midoriya had intervened. I stared at him for a moment, trying to hide my surprise but I had no doubt I wasn't very good at it.

 _So it was true. What else was then?_

"Is this your father?" I asked slightly bluntly. I felt the beginnings of a blush at my own abrasive attitude, but I didn't let it get to me. I wanted to know.

Shoto's earlier confrontation with Midoriya came to mind and I thought about the way Midoriya spoke about All Might. The fact that All Might was here, in his other form. It suggested quite a close relationship. I wasn't sure of the details yet, but perhaps Midoriya would admit to this version of All Might being his father.

That was not the case though because both of their eyes widened and I noticed with shock that All Might began spitting blood as he shook his head furiously in surprise. Midoriya was the same as he stumbled over his words to assure me I was wrong.

"No! N-no! He's just- ahh- he's… h-he's my mother's friend!" Midoriya nodded his head, happy with his cover story while All Might continued to dribble blood and I didn't know what to think about _that_. "Yeah… he's my mother's friend and he was here today and wanted to check on me. That's it."

I nodded, trying not to give my thoughts away but it didn't seem to matter anyway because All Might decided that he was going to give us some privacy and he walked back out into the hallway. I watched his frail frame curiously. It was hard to believe that the man in front of me with the sunken cheekbones, skinny limbs and loose clothing was the number one hero. But I'd already had a very difficult day so the blows were starting to just roll off of me at this point.

After staring at the doorway for a moment I turned back to see Midoriya eying me curiously. I spoke first, if only to not give him the time to think too much about my behaviour in regards to All Might.

"Thank you."

Oops, if I was surprised that that was the first thing that came to mind, Midoriya was even more shocked. He gaped at me for a moment, looking confused.

"F-for what?" He asked me tentatively. I bit my lip.

"For helping Shoto with his Quirk. He wasn't… he needed to get past this block. And I didn't know how to get through to him. Although I do think that what I said to him helped, you were the one who got him to use his powers. And I wanted to thank you for that."

Midoriya's bright green eyes got impossibly wider for a second before his cheeks turned pink. He looked like he wanted to fiddle with his hands but they were currently strapped to his chest in bandages. "I-It's nothing!" He responded quickly before looking down at his lap. "I wanted to help him too. He seemed so sad…"

I nodded, feeling the ache in my chest return. "Yeah… I don't know what goes on in his head a lot of the time. But I agree. And you helped him when nobody else could, so like I said, thank you."

"I think he cares about you a lot." Midoriya said abruptly and I gave him a sharp look.

 _Where did that come from? Was it really written on my face so easily? How many people saw this whole mess coming?_ Midoriya blushed at the look I was giving him and he looked sheepish for a moment.

"Ah… it's just an observation of mine. Based on his interactions with everyone else in the class and you. He seems to genuinely care for you. I-I just thought you should know that…" He was all but mumbling by the end and I almost wanted to laugh at his embarrassed look if I wasn't also blushing.

This was weird.

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to ignore the whiplash feeling I had.

 _Why was everything happening today? Why did everything feel like it was circling back to Shoto and I's relationship?_ I shook my head to remove those thoughts and moved on. I still wanted to talk to Midoriya about something.

"Why did you keep going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even and neutral, but the matter confused me. "When Shoto used his fire. You had to have known you couldn't win. Even earlier in the match, you weren't likely to win. But why did you keep going?"

Midoriya frowned at me for a moment and when he spoke it was like he was stating one of the most simple truths in the universe. "Because I want to be a hero. And that involves giving everything I have to it."

"But in a lot of circumstances, isn't it better to accept defeat, and limit unnecessary injuries?"

"I don't think so," he answered and his gaze was moving inwards, I was worried he was going to start mumbling and forget my existence. "I think you need to learn to give it your all, even at the cost of yourself. And if you don't practice that, how will you get better?"

I frowned in contemplation and just gave a hum of acknowledgement to him.

Perhaps I should think about that. I looked up at the clock and tried to ignore the fact that it was slightly blurry. I focused on what it said instead noticed that more time than I thought had passed since I first left to find Midoriya. I sighed before turning to the door.

"I need to go sorry." I told him and he gave me a bright smile and nodded. I felt the weight on my chest ease slightly looking at him. I wasn't sure how he managed it, but he was such a bright, positive presence.

"Good luck with the next round."

"I hope your healing goes well." I said in turn and gave him a distracted smile as I backed up to the door. "I'll head off now so that A-uhh… your mother's friend can come back."

I thought I recovered smoothly from my slip. At least until Midoriya's eyes widened comically and he gave a small shriek of almost horror as everything clicked into place.

"You know!" He shouted.

I winced, _looks like there's going to be another thing to add to my crazy day._

Before I could respond though, a door further into the nurse's office opened and Recovery Girl walked in with a surprisingly fierce scowl. "What did I tell you children! He has surgery! You'll need to come back later." I nodded quickly, apologising and all but running to the door.

I could feel Midoriya's eyes on me but for the moment, I knew that I was safe.

I didn't even check if I could see All Might when I left the room, just turning and pacing down the hallway as quick as possible to get away. I partially wanted to return to the section with the rest of class A but I was too nervous and there were so many thoughts bouncing around in my head that I figured I'd be better off avoiding it.

I wandered the halls aimlessly, thinking about everything. Today felt like it had been an impossibly long day, and I knew it was nowhere near over.

I don't know how long I wandered but eventually I heard an announcement over the speakers, announcing Tokoyami's victory against Kirishima and I jolted. If their fight was ending, that meant mine would be starting very soon.

When I reached the waiting room, I only had a few minutes before I had to leave for the entrance and I sighed as I sat down at a table. My heart was pounding and I tried some breathing exercises to get it under control. This was it.

When I had thought about my fight with Bakugo originally, my plan had been to try and fight for a short while, inevitably fail and then forfeit peacefully.

I hadn't seen the point. I couldn't see how I could beat him. There was no point in injuring myself needlessly, when I knew the outcome would be a failure. It was an important skill for a hero to know when they were overwhelmed.

But it was also an important skill of a hero to fight in impossible circumstances because that was what they did. They faced the fight and didn't back down. Didn't give up hope. They were prepared to give their all for it.

And I shouldn't be any different.

As I made my way towards the entrance to the stadium, I kept my head held high. When Present Mic introduced me to the crowd and their cheering became louder, I grinned at the crowd and gave them an enthusiastic wave.

When Bakugo stared me down from the other side of the field, I didn't look away. I met his gaze evenly.

"Alright everybody! The final match of the second round! Who will come out on top? Ready?"

From across the field, even with my damaged eyesight, I saw Bakugo smirk at me.

"Start!"

* * *

 **If you guys are a bit "what the hell, why do Mirai and Shoto both just** ** _expect_** **her to fail, don't be mad at them, it will be revealed next chapter!**

 **As for reviews (I'm sorry I haven't replied to everyone, there would be way too much but hopefully if I just start doing it more regularly it will make it a lot easier).**

 **curlystruggle – I'm glad you've been enjoying it! I actually was thinking of Cyclops when I thought up the costume so I'm glad you pictured it too! Yeah protective Shoto is the best, especially when he doesn't mean to do it, it just happens before he thinks about it :D Thank you so much for the support! I've enjoyed writing so many of those scenes.**

 **kirika 07 – Thanks so much for the support! There's a lot of cases where I'm actually trying to avoid her changing the storyline too much because I feel the characters deserve the development they get from it. I've been trying to work on hers separately, without ruining other people's moment's but we'll have to see what the future brings!**

 **Title Unwanted – Thanks! Yeah I'm thinking I'm going to keep writing the longer chapters, it's just frustrating for dramatic effect sometimes, but I think it'll be alright :P I'm enjoying giving you guys even more Mirai Shoto moments coming up!**

 **Xenocanaan – Thank you! I really appreciate the support and I'm glad you've enjoyed it!**

 **Kalmaegi –I really liked the idea of Mirai and Shinso bonding over having only mental quirks and I thought it'd be a good opportunity to expand on Shinso's character more than we've seen so far. And I'm enjoying writing Aizawa, it's interesting, and I feel like he would respect Mirai and her decision to train hard since her quirk could be seen as a downfall. Mirai definitely planted the idea of using his fire side in Shoto's head, but he still had his separate barriers he had to overcome. Thank you so much for the support and comments though!**

 **Pegistar5 – Thank you! :D I'm glad you've been enjoying it. Yeah I started writing it because the one's I've read either weren't being updated often enough for my feelings or didn't have what I wanted so I was like 'I'll make my own', haha. I never really intended for it to be SI-OC since I personally don't prefer them but I'm glad it works for yo! :)**

 **Love Remedy – Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Thank you, I really enjoy reading your reviews, they always cheer me up even though there will probably be some stage where you're unhappy with a decision I made, it's still a nice thing. I wanted Mirai to actually have her own separate storyline and that includes complications with her Quirk. Shoto and Mirai's relationship is very interesting to say the least, I'll let you figure it out as we go though :P But I'm really glad you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. We'll just have to see how it progresses with her being aware of All Might (although not everything). Shinso's Quirk affects her the same as any other, or at least that's what I feel. :) I'm glad you've enjoyed it! We'll just have to see where everything is leading, I can't wait to give you the next chapter! :D**

 **Animefairy299 – Omg go for it! If you want to make a fanart of Mirai that would make my day!**

 **Everyone else as well! Thanks so much for the comments and support! I'd reply to all your comments but then the review section would be as long as the chapter. Maybe next time :D It really motivates me to read them and see that you guys are enjoying the story and thinking about how it will progress so for the thousandth time, thank you!**


	17. The tournament ends

**And, with this chapter, the Sports Carnival Arc is over! Sorry it took a while, unfortunately other things have taken priority but here we go! :D**

 **Also I changed the summary of the fic if anyone cares, but it's not really a biggie.**

* * *

 _It had been two weeks since the first incident at USJ when it happened._

 _We were doing basic hero training in the gym once again, and I hoped we would soon return to more interesting hero training, but so far no luck. All Might had the class split so that some were sparring with me and others were essentially doing an obstacle course around the edges of the gym that looked like a parkour training circuit._

 _For the first time since we'd started doing this, I was versing Bakugo, along with Toru, Hanta and Tsuyu. Bakugo had, until now, refused to participate because "I don't need useless teammates, I'll do it by myself!" I still wasn't sure what All Might had bribed him with to get him involved in this, but I was starting to regret it._

 _I was handling it pretty well. It was mostly a case of avoiding attacks and looking for openings myself. I'd just knocked Hanta to the floor and I was in the process of swinging my bo staff at Tsuyu's legs when out of nowhere, something smashed into my chest, sending me flying._

 _I crashed onto the ground, sliding back a few feet across the gym floor as I felt the breath leave me._

Oww.

 _I didn't move for a moment, too winded, as I tried to catch my breath. But eventually I pulled off my blindfold to see all of the class staring at me from various places in the gym. Some had started to make their way over to check on me and some were just standing still, watching incredulously._

 _I groaned as I pulled myself up on to my elbows._

 _"Mirai, are you okay?"_

 _"Wow! What a hit! You got- oww,_ Jiro _!"_

 _"Young Himori, are you alright?"_

 _I blinked up at everyone watching me and gave a nod and a small smile, but my thoughts were elsewhere._

 _I had been watching everyone's moves, that shouldn't have happened. I didn't even know if I'd been hit with a hand or a foot, just that it had hurt a lot and knocked the breath out of me._

 _Usually when I got hit in this training, it wasn't because I couldn't see it, I just couldn't react fast enough. Or avoiding one person's attack put me in the place of another person's. But this…_

 _I hadn't seen anything._

 _This had just felt like it came out of nowhere._

 _Like he hadn't made a conscious decision to do it…_

 _I narrowed my eyes at Bakugo who was sneering at me from the sparring mat, having not moved since I got hit. I pulled myself up off the ground, ignoring the aching in my chest and marched over to the mat._

 _"Again!' I all but ordered my classmates as I picked up my bo staff from where it had fallen. I pulled the blindfold over my eyes and tightened it. Just before I did, I saw the class exchanging weary looks, but soon enough I could feel Toru, Tsuyu and Hanta approach where Bakugo and I were standing. I noticed that the rest of the class hadn't returned to what they were doing beforehand, just watching._

 _All Might announced for us to start again and I immediately ducked a punch from Toru. This time I tried to focus on predicting Bakugo's moves. I saw him about to swing at me and I ducked to the side, bringing my bo staff around to try and hit him. I may not have seen his last attack coming but it was possible I'd just missed it since-_

 _Something took my legs out from under me and I was slammed into the floor once again. I let out another groan of pain, but I didn't register it too much. My thoughts were racing._

 _I saw the first attack plan he'd had. But I hadn't seen him change his mind._ _For some reason, he was changing his plans without conscious thought, instinctively reacting to my counter-attack._

I couldn't see Bakugo's attacks coming.

 _The rest of the class had given sympathetic 'oof's' when I'd gone down again but I ignored it as I once again pulled myself to my feet and took my blindfold off. Most of the class was just looking at me with curious expressions but there were a few who were watching me calculatingly. Including Bakugo._

 _He smirked._

 _I scowled back at him as Toru spoke._

 _"Wow! Mirai are you alright? That's twice in two minutes!"_

 _"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired I think." I replied smoothly, trying to play it off._

 _"Really?" Denki questioned curiously from where he was watching off to the side. "Because you were getting your ass handed to you. It was like you couldn't see the hits coming-"_

 _"No." I interrupted quickly, uncomfortable with the idea of everyone knowing what had happened. They were my classmates and I trusted them, but I didn't want them talking about it when I was still unsure myself. "I've just overused my Quirk a bit today. And you guys are all getting better at working together, it was bound to happen." I lied through my teeth to the class and gave them a big smile. But they seemed to not realise thankfully. At least, all of them except for a couple._

 _Bakugo's face was twisted into a vicious grin and I saw Momo, Tokoyami, Midoriya and Shoto all eying me with thoughtful expressions. But I turned away from them before they could say anything._

 _Thankfully, All Might called an end to the training shortly after that and we retreated to the locker rooms. Class was over for the day and when I returned to the classroom, some people had already left while others were milling around, making tentative plans to hang out that afternoon._

 _I was surprised to find Shoto waiting for me. Usually he left school pretty quickly except for when we were going to the park, and I would have thought he'd be out the door by now. But instead he was standing by his desk watching me. He gave me a nod when I approached, and when I left the room he walked with me._

 _Neither one of us spoke until we left the building and were walking towards the gate. Shoto glanced at me out of the corner of his eye as we made our way to the station._

 _"You couldn't see Bakugo's decisions, could you?" He asked me casually. His mismatched hair was shielding part of his eye as he looked at me, but I could still feel his gaze._

 _I tensed and turned to keep my eyes forward. I bit my lip as I tried to decide what I should tell him. He'd probably figure it out eventually, and I didn't think letting Shoto know would cause any trouble._

 _"No. I couldn't. I don't think I've ever had that before…"_

 _"What was it?"_

 _"it was like he wasn't making conscious decisions in his head to attack a certain way. It was just pure instinctive reactions… His body reacts without thinking, or at least, he adjusts is plans far too quickly for me to counter… and he kicked my ass because of it."_

 _I sighed in annoyance, kicking the ground in front of me as we walked and Shoto didn't say anymore for a bit. If I had to, I'd say he looked like he was thoughtful about it._

 _"Because he doesn't think about his fighting consciously, just naturally reacts, your Quirk doesn't help you with him, does it?"_

 _"No." I paused, looking at the few other people I could see walking around us. "It's essentially like I'm Quirkless against him. Which is not good. Three weeks into UA and there's already an opponent who I don't know if I could ever beat."_

 _Shoto didn't reply. I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know what to say or if it was because he thought what I was saying was correct and didn't feel the need to point it out. I huffed in frustration. If I ever fought one on one with Bakugo, I didn't' think it would go well. He had a very strong Quirk and an aggressive personality. If I couldn't use my Quirk to predict his moves…_

 _That wasn't to say I wouldn't still try to fight him. But a good hero also understands when they're outmatched. Even if accepting it is a hard pill to swallow._

 _Just as we were approaching the station I heard a voice call out my name behind me and I turned to see the girls in our class approaching. I smiled when I noticed they were all there, half racing to catch up with us._

 _"Mirai! We were going to go to the arcade a few blocks away! Do you want to come?"_

 _"Girl's afternoon!" Mina cheered as she threw her fist in the air._

 _I grinned at them, my earlier troubling thoughts disappeared as I accepted their offer. I turned back to Shoto._

 _"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked and he nodded, before acknowledging the others with a similar nod and leaving._

 _Ochaco walked up to me and linked her arm through mine. Obviously prepared to drag me to our location. "Let's go! I want to win one of those giant rabbits in the basketball throw!"_

 _I laughed and followed the girls._

* * *

 _"Start!"_

The moment Present Mic announced that, Bakugo sent an explosion at me immediately which I just managed to avoid. I dove to the side in a tuck and roll and was up in moments, running to put a bit more distance between us.

He moved so quickly, it tested my reflexes. My heart was already pounding as he sent another blast towards me, blowing rubble up into the air and I dodged it all as my mind raced. At the moment, I could see the attacks coming. They were easy to predict, simple decisions on his behalf. But I knew that as soon as I interacted with him, his instinctive reflexes would kick in and my Quirk would be all but useless. I couldn't keep up with it then.

Bakugo was snarling at me from across the field as he sent more explosions at me. A few smaller pieces of rubble hit me as I dodged his attacks, they were nothing but small stings against my arms and face though as I met his gaze.

"Your evasion tactic won't work on me, blue girl!" He taunted as another echoing boom rang out through the stadium. I flipped and twirled to avoid the debris and when I landed, I stopped, staring across at him. So, he'd been watching my fight with Mina. "You can't beat me."

He sent another explosion and I jumped backwards, running around the side of the arena. If he watched my fight with Mina, he probably knew that that was my easiest tactic. I needed to get in close to him before I could do anything. But dodging his explosions was tiring and he could easily keep me at bay from a distance. The fact that I was facing an impossible battle re-entered my mind and I pushed it aside. It didn't matter. Even if I couldn't win, I was going to make it a fight to remember.

"Are you sure about that, Bakugo?" I retorted snidely as I grinned at him. "I beat you earlier."

His face grew darker with anger and he ran at me. Palms releasing intermittent explosions as he did. My thoughts were a blur as I watched him run, keeping an eye on the visions in my head as well.

Although my visions were mostly useless. They gave me an insight into Bakugo's first strike plans. So even if they changed once I rebuffed them, I could begin to guess what his next possible action may be. So I kept most of my focus on the present, but I still kept an eye out on my visions as he advanced towards me.

I'd never been more thankful for the extra time I put into practicing with my Quirk than at that moment.

When Bakugo reached me, I lunged forward, ducking under his outstretched arm and just missing the explosion he had sent at me. My ears rang from the noise as I twisted and grabbed his arm. Trying to use his momentum against him to swing him around and away from me.

Before I could though, Bakugo used his other hand to blow up the ground where I stood and I was sent flying backwards across the dirt from the force.

I winced as I pulled myself to my feet and turned to look at him. He hadn't moved yet, but I could tell from the look on his face that he was going to enjoy this.

I couldn't let that happen.

"What's wrong, Bakugo? Not happy with a girl like me beating you? I don't even have the physical Quirk advantage that you do. How sad." I taunted him.

"What did you say?! I'll kill you!" Bakugo shouted in anger, his facial expression full of rage as he ran at me again and despite myself I let out a small laugh.

Perhaps getting my ass kicked would be worth it if I could rile up Bakugo. And on the off chance that his anger distracted him from the fight, that could work for me.

Our fight continued, however, it didn't get any better for me. Each time I thought I had the upper hand and could get a good hit in, his reflexes kicked in and I was usually sent flying.

My uniform was looking tattered after a short while and I had a fair few burns and cuts as the fight progressed. Bakugo, meanwhile, looked untouched by the fight. The only sign of it on him was that he was sweating, but considering that only strengthened his Quirk that put me in a tough spot.

I let out a grunt of frustration as I pulled myself off the ground yet again and dusted myself off. This was beginning to get humiliating. I could rarely get close enough to him to do any damage and even when I did he managed to throw me away before I could.

"Why are you still trying to win?" He called to me from across the field. "You know you can't." Bakugo didn't approach me again though, at least, not yet. Perhaps he was wary of me, after what had happened during his fight with Ochaco. But I didn't have any sneak attacks up my sleeve. I was just barely hanging on in this fight. I decided to answer him honestly.

"I know I can't win." I stated plainly and Bakugo's eyes widened in surprise at my truthfulness. "Your Quirk is much stronger than mine in this scenario."

I took a step towards him and lifted my chin, glaring at him from across the platform. I recalled my thoughts before the final round began. I originally had no intention of continuing the fight at this stage. But after speaking with Midoriya, my opinion had shifted.

I was going to do this. I had to. So many people had given their all to this tournament, had sacrificed something, whether it was their pride or friendship, or testing the bounds of how far an injury could go. We were all here to show the world how much making it to the top tier meant to us.

And I was no different.

"But I can't give up! Everyone has fought their hardest today… made sacrifices… how can I be a hero if I don't do the same? This may be an impossible fight for me to win. But at least I'll go down fighting to prove myself!"

I charged at Bakugo, keeping low to the ground so that I could dodge to the side at any moment if necessary. He watched me come and his bewildered expression shifted to one of triumph as his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. I zoned out of everything as my focus narrowed. The roar of the crowd and Present Mic's continual commentary dulled as I approached him.

My Quirk may be basically useless in this fight, but that didn't mean I was. I had spent years training to be a hero. I had broken bones and torn ligaments. I'd put blood sweat and tears into it and this is where I showed that that training wasn't for nothing.

Bakugo sent another explosion at me and I dodged it before surprising him by putting myself directly in the line of fire of his hand. His eyes widened and he redirected his second blast to the side at the last minute. Just as I expected, not from my visions, but from viewing him as a person. Bakugo was a piece of work, but he wasn't in it to hurt people, that was just a side effect of him striving for the top. His redirected blast still stung the side of my face but I ignored it as I plowed into him, sending us both to the ground.

He shoved me aside and was up in moments and I swung my leg out to trip him. He dodged but moments later I was following it up by an attempted elbow to the stomach, which he dodged as well.

Bakugo sent another explosion at the ground where I stood and I jumped spinning and sending a roundhouse kick to his face that missed him by inches as he leapt out of the way.

His surprise at my relentless attack was the opening I needed and I launched myself at him again, this time clinging to his back and wrapping my arms around him in a chokehold. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pinning one of his arms to his side and he let out a yell of anger as his hand exploded in an attempt to loosen my legs and get his arm free, but I ignored the pain and stayed steady.

Bakugo swung around violently, trying to reach me and pull me off of him with his free hand but I stayed wrapped around him. I managed to keep my chokehold on him as he tried to force me off continuously, occasionally throwing explosions around in his effort. Hope swelled in me as his attempts to remove me continued to fall short. Because of my position and the fact that one of his arms was pinned to his side, he couldn't stop this. If I could hold on… just hold on until Bakugo passed out.

Maybe I could actually win.

Bakugo gave a shout, and with an explosion that blew against the side of my leg, singing further through my uniform and burning my leg, he wrenched his caught arm out from where I had it pinned and suddenly the tables turned very rapidly.

"Get off me!" He snarled, voice slightly choked from the hold I had on him, before he held his hands up in front of him. His palms began to glow red as the explosions built up and I realised I'd seen this before. And it would not end well for me.

Bakugo may be immune to the worst of his Quirk, but I definitely was not. Self-preservation had me loosening my grip on him, prepared to leap off and run.

" _Oh shi_ -!"

The earthshattering 'boom!' that he let off felt like it rattled my insides as I was thrown off of him from the force. I could feel the pain from where the heat singed my open skin and I felt the rush of air as I was thrown skyward. Panic bubbled up as I realised how high the explosion had thrown me but my head was beginning to grow foggy and I felt too tired to register completely how quickly the ground was rushing up to meet me.

My last conscious thought was that this was going to hurt, before everything went black.

* * *

When I woke up, I was surprised to find nothing hurt as much as I thought it would, although I felt a bone-deep tiredness.

"Gummy?" A voice asked and I tilted my head to see Recovery Girl standing over my bed holding out a handful of gummys to me. I nodded, reaching up to take one before I stopped and winced. I looked down to find my left arm was bandaged and strapped to my chest to stop me from trying to move it.

"Oww?" I complained questioningly. I didn't remember injuring my arm badly enough to warrant this, but then again, I passed out just before I hit the ground so I wouldn't remember the pain thankfully.

"Concussion, a few fractured ribs, a broken arm and a fair few minor burns." Recovery Girl informed me with a stern look and I shrunk under her gaze. I had already known that continuing to fight a losing battle was a stupid decision, but I didn't regret it. Even if it wasn't all positive, the fight would likely get me noticed. "You're lucky you were unconscious when you landed or there may have been worse injuries. You're also lucky the fire didn't spread faster."

I looked up sharply at that. _Fire?_

"Fire, what fire?" I asked and Recovery Girl's face stretched into something that looked amused. I frowned at her in confusion and she reached over to tug on the end of one of my blue pigtails.

I looked down in confusion at the, for some reason, different sensation and gaped at my hair.

"My hair was on fire." I deadpanned flatly in disbelief. _Was she serious_?

Recovery Girl gave me a cheery nod, as though reporting the weather rather than the fact that over a foot of hair was now gone from my head. "Midnight put the fire out before it spread to far, but there wasn't much that could be done for the hair already gone."

I couldn't stop the pout from forming on my face as I eyed my now relatively short hair. Or at least, it felt short to me since I was used to it being waist length. I noted that my second pigtail was still the same length it should have been and I looked up at her questioningly. She shrugged.

"You can choose whether or not you want to cut the other one, I'm assuming you do so I've left some scissors beside your bed."

I turned to look and noticed that there was, strangely enough, a carton of popcorn beside my bed. Recovery Girl must have seen my perplexed look because she smiled brightly.

"Some of the boys from your class visited you earlier, they said that it was the only thing they could find in a rush." I laughed out loud at that, ignoring the slight ache in my ribs. Denki, Eijiro and Hanta were just too much sometimes. "Young Todoroki visited you before his fight as well."

I frowned at that. _Before his fight_? "How long have I been out?"

"Because of your concussion, and other injuries, you stayed unconscious for a while. I believe young Bakugo just won the final against young Todoroki moments ago."

"The finals?!" I asked in horror. "What happened to the semi-finals? Bakugo and Shoto?"

"While your concussion healed, you stayed unconscious. It didn't take long for them to continue the other fights. They have a recap going at the moment." Recovery Girl nodded towards the TV in the corner and I looked up at it. Vaguely I realised that my vision was back to perfect, but right now my priority was watching the playback recording of Shoto and Bakugo's fight. So they'd both won against Iida and Tokoyami… "And now I no doubt have to prepare for young Todoroki's arrival here. Each year these students get more and more irresponsible."

Recovery Girl wandered off, grumbling about careless students and irresponsible teachers but I ignored it as I watched Shoto and Bakugo fight. I couldn't believe I'd been knocked out for so long… then again, it was only three fights, which probably didn't total up to a lot of time. But still, a lot had apparently happened since then.

I didn't know what to think, watching the playback of Shoto and Bakugo's fight. He'd thrown the fight, taken himself out of the running at the last moment. Because he was still unsure about using his fire? Probably, but surely he realised that holding back half of your power wasn't going to get him where he wanted to be. I sighed in annoyance, turning my head away from the screen where it was now playing Bakugo and Tokoyami's fight.

My eyes strayed to the vision test poster on the wall and I was happy to note that my vision was entirely back to normal. I pondered briefly whether I should mention it to Recovery Girl but I decided to keep it to myself. It wasn't exactly shocking that overusing my Quirk again had led to damaging my vision slightly, and now that it was healed there wasn't anything she could do. I just needed to continue training it so that it didn't continue to happen.

The door opening brought me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Shoto being brought into the room on a stretcher. My heart clenched for a moment when I noticed him completely knocked out cold, but I tried to ignore the feeling. I knew he'd be fine. He'd only been knocked out, and aside from some minor burns, cuts and bruises, he wasn't very injured.

Recovery Girl immediately walked over and gave him a kiss to boost his healing, before she began tending to his injuries. I watched for a little while, before returning my attention to the TV in front of me, which was continuing to replay scenes from the tournament. I watched a few clips from my own fight with Bakugo, which showed me dodging his relentless explosions and the few times I came close to hitting him, including Bakugo struggling to buck me off when I latched into his back and put him in a chokehold. The clips ended with me being thrown high into the air before crashing into the ground, clearly out cold and I winced when I noticed you could clearly see that yes, my hair was on fire.

I tried to leave while Recovery Girl was tending to Shoto, however, as soon as I went to get out of the bed, Recovery Girl had slapped her cane against the bed where my legs were and given me a look that clearly meant 'stay put.' The only thing she had allowed me to do yet was to cut my other pigtail and I frowned at my now uneven and much shorter hair. I was going to have to make time to go to the hairdressers before I visited my mother tomorrow to check over what needed to be done before she came home in a few days.

Recovery Girl left the room and I took it as my opportunity to escape without her notice. I felt alright, obviously very sore, but she told me my broken arm would be healed likely by tomorrow and everything else before that, so it wasn't like I needed to be there.

I slowly slid my legs off the bed, ignoring the slight aching that seemed to be everywhere in my body, and started to stand up. The door opened and it immediately had me planting myself firmly back down on the bed, pretending to look preoccupied with a guilty expression on my face.

I could barely hide my surprise, however, when Endeavor was the one who walked into the room. My disbelief that he was here to check on his son quickly faded when he did nothing but send Shoto a disapproving scowl before his eyes turned to me. _Oh shit, he's here for me._

"Young Himori." He greeted as he entered the room. Thankfully he didn't approach me much further. It was difficult enough looking up at his tall imposing figure, he didn't have to make it worse by standing directly in front of me.

"Endeavor." I greeted him in turn, giving him a nod and trying to keep my face neutral as I shifted on the bed, bracing my tender arm with my other. He eyed my bandages for a moment before looking at me.

"Your decision to fight that battle was very rash, you know you could not have won with the difference in Quirks." He informed me almost coldly. I nodded in turn, looking down at my feet.

"I know… going in, I knew I couldn't beat him… but I had to try."

He scoffed at that, looking at me derisively. "Is that what All Might teaches you? As long as you try it's okay?"

I frowned at him, annoyance rising and this time I didn't look away when I spoke. "No. That's not what All Might taught us, that's what I believe. I'm not… physically capable like the other students. I only have myself to rely on. But I'm trying to improve and one way of doing that is pushing myself further, testing limits, mentally and physically. I need to be better."

Endeavor watched me for a moment and he seemed to be contemplating something as he surveyed me. "You wish to improve your physical skill?" He asked. He was still studying me as he spoke.

I nodded. "I don't wish to, I need to."

Endeavor grunted at that before sending another stony look at his unconscious son, who he no doubt thought was a disappointment right now, especially considering what I had just said. "We'll see." He said, before he strode out of the doorway and was gone. _What was that supposed to mean?_

I sighed and slowly stood up from the bed as my heart rate slowed after the confrontation. Endeavor still intimidated me, and I was glad he hadn't directly brought up Shoto and I, since I didn't know what to tell him on that front.

Recovery Girl re-entered the room, startling me from my thoughts and I glanced guiltily at the obvious distance between me and my bed where I was supposed to be. She scowled at me but didn't remark on it, instead just shooing me from the room and restarting her complaints about silly students who didn't know what was good for them.

I hurriedly left the office, turning down the hallway to find the rest of class A. I hoped they were still in the section of the stands assigned to us and hadn't left for some unknown location. Luckily though, when I arrived in the hallway, they were all roaming around, obviously about to leave. Koda saw me first and gave me a wave which I returned with a smile.

"Hey, it's Mirai!" Eijiro called with a grin and he ran over to me, followed by the rest of the class.

"How are you?"

"You did so well against Bakugo!"

"Did you like the popcorn we gave you?"

I laughed in response to Denki's question, once again ignoring the pain in my ribs and grinned at everyone. "I'm fine, a bit sore but nothing too serious. I forgot to bring the popcorn with me, I'm sorry." The boys didn't seem to mind that I'd forgotten about their gift though, just grinning at me and I laughed again.

"What happened to your hair, Mirai?" Ochaco asked curiously, holding her chin in contemplation like it was a serious math problem. I pouted again.

"It caught fire when I was versing Bakugo so I had to cut it." I fiddled with the ends and frowned again. I knew it wasn't that bad, in the grand scheme of things it was downright immature of me to be so caught up in this, but I liked my hair. I sighed before swinging the pigtail over my shoulder and looking up at the class. The boys seemed nonplussed but I was glad to see that Ochaco, Mina and even Momo looked suitably horrified for me.

"Wow, that's awful Mirai! I can't imagine that happening to me! I'd feel terrible, I love my hair!" Toru interjected and the class looked at her before a mutual decision was made to apparently just leave it and not say anything. I couldn't help but grin at her though. _I hope you never change, Toru_.

With that, the class made its way back down to the stadium for the award ceremony. I stayed quiet as we walked, content in my own thoughts and wiped out after the day we'd had and the others seemed mostly the same. We stood around in the centre of the field, which had been returned to how it was before the final stage as we waited for the ceremony to begin.

"I can't see anything!" Mineta complained and I smirked down at him. He was barely waist height, so of course he couldn't see Midnight at the front. I almost felt like it was poetic justice. Unfortunately, he turned to me and his eyes lit up with an idea.

"Himori! Maybe I can sit on your-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

He pouted and I noticed his eyes turned to Momo next to me, who was oblivious as to what was about to occur. Thankfully a large arm grabbed Mineta by the cuff of his uniform before he could do something stupid and lifted him onto his shoulders. I turned to Shoji and gave him a nod of thanks which he returned, looking unimpressed with once again being given the role of Mineta's begrudging caretaker. The ceremony began just after that though.

"All of the first-year events for this year's UA sports festival have been completed. And now, we will begin the award ceremony!" Midnight began and the stadium erupted in fireworks. I noted the platform that rose behind her, showing Shoto and Tokoyami standing on their pedestals. But what stood out the most was Bakugo.

He was chained to a cement block with huge restraints and a muzzle had been put over his face to no doubt muffle his screaming and profanities. I gaped in awe at the scene as the rest of the class reacted in similar surprise. Eijiro looked like he was cringing in front of me at the scene and despite myself I let out a hysterical giggle as I watched him.

 _Man, he may have defeated me in the tournament, but Bakugo certainly hasn't ended up with the last laugh._

Momo looked at me like I was crazy but I couldn't stop the grin that stayed on my face as I watched Bakugo struggle. Oh he was _furious_. Shoto throwing the fight had really done a number on him. Now he didn't know if he could have beaten him. None of us knew.

I turned my attention to Shoto who I found was surprisingly watching my mirth. His lips twitched and for a moment I thought he was going to smirk at my reaction to Bakugo's obvious ire, however, his expression soon turned inward and he became quite downcast. My own expression grew darker as I watched him. Poor Shoto… Still so conflicted.

"In addition to Tokoyami, there is also Iida in third place," Midnight continued, "but he left early for family reasons. Thank you for your understanding!"

"That's too bad. Iida was really into it." I heard Tsuyu said and I frowned. What had happened to cause Iida to leave? I dismissed it quickly though, it was probably nothing, and even if it was, it wasn't my concern.

The award ceremony went by very quickly and soon enough we were told to make our way back to our homerooms for the end of the day announcements. It felt strange as we left the stadium. It seemed like the last eight hours had changed so much for a lot of us. I hoped it was for the better though.

I managed to convince Denki into giving me a piggyback ride on the way back to the main campus through a combination of pulling the injury card and guilt tripping for the whole cheerleading uniform debacle. So that was nice.

When we arrived at the classroom after changing into our normal uniforms again, I saw Bakugo sitting at his desk, quaking in fury while Eijiro tried to engage him in friendly conversation. It didn't seem to be working and I scowled at the blond-haired boy. Because of him, my hair was now half its length. He must have felt my stare because he turned to look at me and his expression darkened further as we glared at each other. It was clear to see that Bakugo and I would not be bosom buddies any time soon.

I noticed Shoto was already in his seat when I took mine. I gave him a smile and he nodded in return. He seemed distracted but that didn't surprise me in the slightest. Soon enough, Aizawa entered the room and the noise quieted.

"Good work. So there will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure the pro heroes who watched the sports festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back. So rest well, and look forward to that."

"Yes, sir!"

I smiled tiredly. Internships. They'd be starting soon. I was optimistic that I'd at least gotten a few people asking for me, so I hoped there was somewhere that would work well for me. Someone who would help me work on the things that needed improving.

Aizawa dismissed us after a few more announcements and I slowly stood from my desk, ignoring my aching muscles. I knew I would wake up tomorrow feeling even more stiff and sore, so I tried to enjoy the time I had left before that. When I turned to look at Shoto I found him watching me and I could tell that he wanted to talk. I nodded and followed him out of the classroom as we made our way down the hall. Everyone else seemed to be too worn out to consider making afternoon plans, which I was thankful for, so I was free to follow Shoto into the grounds and towards the gate.

As we walked I noticed that Shoto's thoughts seemed to be inwards once again and I left him for a little bit as we walked before deciding to break the silence.

"So you threw the fight."

"Yeah." He responded quietly, coming out of his trance-like state. "I didn't think winning was worth it."

"Although you don't even know if you could have won." I informed him rationally. "For all you know, Bakugo still may have beaten you. So now you've just incurred his wrath."

"Tsk." Shoto replied, "I didn't like him anyway."

He paused in his steps and turned to look at me with a curious expression bordering on offended and bemused.

"You don't think I could have won?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I don't think you could definitely win. You both have your individual skills and you and Bakugo haven't versed each other before so there's never been a way to know. And now since you threw this fight, neither of you knows yet. Do _you_ think that you would win if you didn't throw it?"

Shoto frowned at that and resumed walking, I fell into step beside him again. "I haven't considered it… but no, I don't know for certain. He can beat you, after all."

I pouted at the reminder and rubbed my injured arm. Shoto watched the movement and a crease formed in his brow. "We've never sparred though, so we don't know if I can predict your attacks." I considered it. I felt like I probably could though, Shoto and Bakugo's fighting styles were very different. Shoto was generally very calm and calculated, he had plan A through to Z worked out before he went in. Whereas Bakugo just went for it, whatever worked.

I shrugged again and we resumed walking, letting the conversation drop. We could discuss it another time I had no doubt. But now I knew that we had a new matter to discuss…

Our betrothal.

I fiddled with my now short hair anxiously as I waited for Shoto to say something. However, he didn't speak as we arrived at the station.

"So," I caved, breaking the silence. "What's happening?"

Shoto's expression hardened and he looked down at his left hand again, staring at it. I frowned at him, still fiddling with my hair anxiously as my heart pounded. Whatever he decided, it was his own decision, and I hoped he chose whatever made him happy.

"I never considered using my left side until today. But what you and Midoriya both said… that it's my Quirk, not my fathers… it means something."

I stayed silent as he continued to study his hand and I resisted the temptation to touch him. We had never been tactile before, then again, we hadn't considered wanting to be tactile. Or at least, I hadn't.

"I need to think about that. About what I want… I should be focusing on that, rather than making sure he doesn't get what he wants…" Shoto turned to stare off into the distance. I wasn't sure what he was focusing on, but I didn't think it mattered anyway.

I nodded as I absorbed what he'd said. It made sense. Shoto had been trying to deny his father what he wanted out of spite and the refusal to be like him. But he'd been so focused on that he'd never contemplated whether that aligned with where he wanted to go with his life.

Shoto was still staring off into the distance when he spoke again. "Perhaps going against my father isn't as important as doing the things I want to. I was born to overtake All Might as the number one hero… but I want to be that hero in my own right… My father forced me-… us… into this arrangement… but-"

My heart stuttered in my chest as he turned his gaze down to me and my blue eyes met his heterochromatic ones. I finished the rest of his sentence in my head.

 _But that doesn't mean we don't want it for ourselves._

"So… this means we're on for Monday?" I asked him tentatively as hope blossomed inside me and he nodded, looking down at me. I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face as I looked up at him and his lips seemed to twitch again.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I leant up on my toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Shoto's lips parted in surprise and his cheeks turned red. I felt my own turn a matching shade and took a step back, hoping they would cool down.

"I'll see you on Monday then." I spouted out quickly before I turned and left before I could do anything else, refusing to look at his expression. I hadn't even turned the corner though when the smile returned to my face full force. He hadn't called the engagement off. There _was_ something there.

Yeah. Maybe today had changed a lot of things for the better.

* * *

 **Awwwwww! Would you look at these cuties. So sweet and innocent and pure and yet also decidedly not.**

 **Sometimes I get really giddy at the prospect of Mirai in five years time being this super badass hero but at the same time she's like tiny and has no physical Quirk but she can still strike fear into the hearts of those around her, including the top three heroes, Shoto, Midoriya and Bakugo.**

 **Tournament Arc us over yew! You'll just have to see what's coming next!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Title Unwanted: Yeah school's been difficult to get back into but I think I'm settling into a good routine. Thank you! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter too!**

 **Tora3 - I hope you've received! :D**

 **Love Remedy - Thank you! Yeah Mirai has to use her head a lot if she wants to win a fight, however, as you see in this chapter, she still has her moments! Yeah, Bakugo and Mirai's relationship is kind of complicated and you'll continue to see that a bit for at least a while I think. It's a different dynamic to Bakugo and Ochaco definitely though. As for some number data... hmmm... we'll have to see. It depends on how things continue to progress. Thanks! I liked the scene with Shoto and Mirai aswell. It's one of the ones that popped into my head when I was initially planning the fic. :) Yeah we'll have to see what comes of Mirai knowing All Might's secret. But I feel like Midoriya should have expected it, and he kind of did, hence his immediate realisation of 'holy shit she knows'. Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **curlystruggle - Yeah, sorry for the lack of Shoto and Mirai, I guess they both had bigger priorities at the time. But hopefully this chapters ending helped a bit! :D**

 **Isla - Haha! Thank you! Here you go!**

 **UltimateFan-girl15 - Thank you! I'm glad you like Mirai! And I hope you enjoyed the fight with Bakugo, we'll have to see about her talking to Midoriya.**

 **animefairy299 - Thank you thank you thank you! It means a lot to have a fan art done so thank you! :D I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	18. Filling in the blanks

**Here we go guys!**

 **This chapter's up a little bit early because I was feeling productive for this and procrastinating my assignment due next week, teehee.**

 **It's not very actiony but there's a lot of things that I, at least, think are important plus loads of Shoto and Mirai so I hope you enjoy it! :D**

* * *

The weekend went by surprisingly quickly, however, it shouldn't have been so surprising, since I was very busy for most of it.

My mother was finally home.

I grinned when I walked into the kitchen on Monday morning and rather than being greeted with a cold, empty space, my mother was sitting at the table, a mug of coffee in hand as she looked over the mail in front of her. At my entrance she looked up at me and smiled brightly.

It was strange. Having her back felt like nothing had changed, and yet, there was this small, significant shift. I wasn't sure if it was caused by my experiences at UA, or having lived by myself for almost a year, but I no longer felt like a reliant child. Our relationship had changed slightly.

Mom had been ecstatic when she returned on Saturday morning and I had spent the most of my two days off school before that preparing the house for her and getting my hair fixed. My hair was now only barely shoulder length but I was glad that I could at least still put it up in my signature pigtails.

"How did you sleep?" She asked me with a pleased smile – no doubt about the fact that she could now ask mundane questions like that again.

"Yeah, pretty well." I responded as I set about making myself some breakfast. "I slept better knowing that you're back as well." Mom and I shared another smile at that.

Yesterday, we had spent the entire day hanging out. I had only done some mild exercises, since even though my injuries from the tournament were gone, I was still sore. So it was one of those rare days that I had enjoyed sitting around the house, doing nothing.

"It's good to be home." She replied before launching into a series of questions about school. When was I leaving? How did I get there? When would I be back this afternoon? I answered them all easily and my mother gave a surprisingly happy smile when I told her that I would be going to the park with Shoto in the afternoon for our weekly hang out.

"I'm glad you two are spending time together."

I focused on my food in front of me as I blushed at that. "Mom, you do remember that this is an arranged marriage, right?" That wasn't really the case anymore, there was something more now, but to anyone else though, it was just an arrangement. I was still surprised that my mom seemed so happy about it, especially now that her treatment was over.

"Yes, I remember. But I know it's more than that." She replied easily and I looked up at her in surprise. She gave me a sly look. "I've got a feel for your future, remember darling. And since you began meeting with Shoto, it's become even brighter every day."

I flushed even deeper at that and returned my attention to my food, trying to ignore the pleased feeling growing in me. "That could have been because I've been going to UA." I muttered in retort and mom simply shook her head at me but didn't respond otherwise.

When I arrived at school later, I immediately made my way over to my friends, who greeted me enthusiastically.

Mina, Tsuyu, Eijiro, Hanta and Ojiro were crowded around their desks discussing the attention we received over the weekend and on the way to school this morning.

I was immediately asked if I had people come up to me on the way to school and I shook my head gleefully.

"One of the pros of my Quirk. I managed to avoid scenarios where people spoke to me." I grinned and beside me, Hanta pouted.

"Lucky. I had some elementary schoolers suddenly tell me 'Don't worry about it'." Obviously, Hanta had wanted that part of the tournament to stay in the past.

"Don't worry about it!" Tsuyu teased him and Hanta let out a shriek of despair. I couldn't help grinning at him, exchanging a look with Eijiro in the process. Poor Hanta.

Something niggled at the edge of my brain. I checked forward suddenly and found that Aizawa was going to be walking through the door shortly.

"Aizawa-sensei incoming!" I called out to the class as I made my way to my desk and they all followed suit quickly.

It was something we did occasionally. A couple of weeks ago, on a particularly rowdy day, Aizawa had entered the classroom only to find Mina, Eijiro and myself all standing on the backs of our chairs, testing to see who could balance for the longest. Shoto had been sitting at the desk quietly next to me, probably trying to ignore the fact that his father chose a fiancée as ridiculous as me. The rest of the class was in similar chaos with Iida running around trying to calm the scene and only making it worse as we laughed at him.

We tried not to talk about the punishment we had received from Aizawa afterwards.

From then on, I was tasked with trying to keep an eye out for when Aizawa would be approaching. That way when he entered the room, we were the picture of decorum.

Sure enough, when he came shuffling in with a tired "morning", we were all perfectly seated and in order when we returned the greeting. I gave Shoto a smile when he looked at me and he nodded in return, a slightly lighter look in his eyes.

Aizawa walked over to his desk and I took notice of what I'd missed in the short vision I'd seen. His bandages had disappeared over the long weekend, his face now in clear view and I noticed a scar underneath his eye. Tsuyu was quick to say it out loud.

"Ribbit? Mr Aizawa, your bandages are gone. I'm glad."

"The old lady went overboard with her treatment." Aizawa stated. "More importantly, we're having a special hero informatics class today."

The class began to freak out, worried we were about to receive a pop quiz no doubt, and many of them turned to me with questioning looks. I hadn't looked into what we'd be doing today, too preoccupied with other things after the weekend so I quickly searched forward, trying to find what Aizawa was referring to. I'd barely begun to look, however, when Aizawa finished his statement.

"Code names. You'll be coming up with hero names."

"We're gonna do something exciting!" The class announced in glee and I grinned, joining them. Aizawa responded to our happiness by activating his Quirk to bring attention back to him and my good mood dulled at his serious look.

"This is related to the pro hero draft picks I mentioned the other day." He continued, surveying us. "The drafts begin in earnest in the second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential. These offers are often cancelled if that interest dies down by graduation."

Toru asked a question from the front but I didn't pay attention. Despite the warning that the offers may not last until we graduated, I was excited to see how many offers I had received. Excited and very nervous. It was something that I had decided not to look forward at, just in case things changed between when I saw the visions and when I got the offers. I didn't want to be disappointed if something changed for the worse.

"The office is still receiving more offers for you all, so we won't be releasing them until Thursday." Aizawa announced and I pouted. "Now then, on to other business. There is still other preparation to be done before your internships begin."

"Internships?" Midoriya asked, obviously hoping for clarification.

"Yeah. At USJ, you already got to experience combat with real villains, but it will still be meaningful training for you to see pros at work firsthand." Aizawa told us.

"So that explains the hero names!" Eijiro called out with a grin.

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Ochaco replied, looking pumped.

"Well, those hero names are still temporary, but if you're not serious about it…-" The door swung open, cutting Aizawa off and we turned at the noise.

"… you'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight finished his sentence as she entered the classroom.

Some of the boys lit up as she made her way in, obviously excited that she was involved in this. I sighed, mimicking Shoto beside me and resting my head on my hands as she spoke. She taught us class every day, you would think the boys would get used to it.

"Because a lot of hero names used by students become recognized by society, and they end up becoming professional hero names!"

"Well, that's how it is. So Midnight will be making sure your names are okay. I can't do stuff like that." Aizawa spoke up and I snorted. Yeah, he didn't seem like the type to fuss over hero names. "When you give yourself a name, you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it. This is what it means when they say, 'Names and natures do often agree'. Like 'All Might', for example."

I thought about that, names and natures _do_ often agree. My mother called me Mirai because she had a feeling about what my future would be like. She just didn't realise how accurate she would be, or perhaps it had been fate at work.

Midnight gave us five minutes to come up with our ideas as whiteboards were passed around the class and I picked up the whiteboard passed to me with a contemplative look.

I knew what I wanted my hero name to be. But it was a big move. Granted, as far as my research had found, I was the only person on record with my specific type of Quirk. I knew there were others with different foresight Quirks, there was even a popular pro hero with one. But mine was different, after all, there was a reason that Endeavor chose me.

I bit my lip as I contemplated it and glanced around the classroom. Some people were struggling with coming up with ideas while others had already finished, obviously a few people had planned theirs out before today as well. I thought back to the name I'd thought of years ago and let out a sigh. Before I could second guess it, I wrote it down and capped the marker. Done.

"Okay, let's start presenting names starting with those who are ready." Midnight announced and I wasn't surprised that she wanted us to announce it to the room. I looked down at the board in my hands and smiled. I was pretty sure it'd be fine.

Aoyama was the first to put his hand up to present. Obviously, he had no qualms about what his hero name was and the class watched him in anticipation.

"Here I go… 'Shining Hero: I cannot stop twinkling'! Which means, you can't stop my sparkles!"

I had to cover my mouth with my hands to cover my snort and I noticed Ochaco doing the same beside me. It really shouldn't have surprised anyone in the room that this is what Aoyama wanted.

"It'll be easier to use if you take out the 'I' and shorten the 'cannot' to 'can't'." Midnight informed him, making notes on his whiteboard and I gaped. His name was okay?

I was going to be fine then.

"You're right, mademoiselle." Aoyoma replied, looking happy with the adjustment and I smiled.

The class reacted to the news that it was fine strongly, and soon enough, Mina was standing up, announcing that she'd go next excitedly.

"Hero name, 'Alien Queen'!"

Unfortunately for her, that name didn't go down too well with Midnight and she was asked to rethink it.

"Ribbit! Then, may I go next?" Tsuyu asked from the front after Mina returned to her desk with a pout, I gave her a sympathetic look but she didn't notice.

"Go ahead, Tsuyu!" Midnight agreed excitedly and Tsuyu made her way up to the front, standing behind the podium.

"I've had this in mind ever since I was in elementary school. 'Rainy Season Hero: Froppy'." She announced and I grinned.

"That's so cute! It seems friendly. I like it! It's a great example of a name that everyone will love!" Midnight fawned over it and everyone began cheering for Tsuyu and her name. It gave me the confidence to stand up and make my own way to the front of the room.

"My turn." I announced when I reached the front of the room and Tsuyu had returned to her desk. I swallowed my nerves and grinned at the class. "It's a bit out there, but I can't imagine anything else." I said before holding up the sign to the class.

Here it goes.

"'The Knowing Hero: Foresight'!"

"So bold! So powerful! I love it!" Midnight announced, cupping her face in her hands as she beamed at me and I noticed the rest of the class had also lit up at my name. I grinned, relieved that it had gone well. "Making your hero name the Quirk you possess. You'll have to work hard to live up to that, though!" She said and I nodded.

I was well aware. After all, I wasn't the only person with a foresight Quirk. It was a lot of responsibility to take over other people's Quirk titles as well. But like I'd said, I was the only person with a foresight Quirk quite like mine. It made sense.

As, I made my way back to my desk, Eijiro grinned at me before standing up and making his own way to the front.

"Then, I'll go too! 'Sturdy Hero: Red Riot'!"

"'Red Riot'? You're paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot, right?" Midnight asked him and he nodded.

"Yes. It's pretty old-fashioned, but the hero image I'm going for is Crimson himself." He replied bashfully and Midnight seemed to approve.

"If you're bearing a name you admire, it'll come with that much more pressure."

"I'm prepared for that!" Eijiro announced in turn, before he returned to his seat and the rest of the class began to eagerly put up their hands to show off their hero names.

As they went through them, I turned to Shoto and leant over, trying to get a peek at his name but his arm was blocking my view. He turned to look at me and raised his eyebrow, I could almost hear his silent communication.

 _What are you doing?_

I shrugged. _I'm curious._

He didn't react to that, however, he stood up and made his way to the front of the classroom, before presenting his board.

"Shoto." He stated plainly.

"Your name? Is that okay?" Midnight asked him, looking perplexed.

"Yeah." He replied, looking fairly uninterested and I couldn't stop the laugh this time as I looked at him.

Shoto made his way back to his desk and I grinned at him as he approached. He looked entirely unbothered by it.

I tried to figure out what Shoto's reasoning was behind the name choice. Was he just not interested in names, or perhaps he couldn't think of anything more creative? Or did he actually want to be called by his first name? I wasn't sure as the rest of the class continued announcing their names.

Eventually we were done and the normal class schedule resumed. The day seemed to drag on, and I wondered if it was because I was eager to spend the afternoon with Shoto. I tried not to think about it though as I sat in classes. Soon enough, we were finished for the day and as I stood up from my desk, swinging my bag across my shoulders, I gave Shoto a nod, signifying I was ready to leave.

We left the school in silence and it wasn't until we were outside the gate that I realised that this was a different dynamic. We'd made the decision to continue whatever this was. I wasn't ready to ask about what that meant, but we both knew that this was different now.

Shoto asked about my mother as we walked to the park and I filled him in on how she was doing and the transition from the hospital to our house. When we arrived, he sat at the base of the tree as normal, however, instead of closing his eyes and zoning out, he continued to speak with me. I hid my surprise though, feeling a warmth rise in me.

"How often did you actually sleep while we were here?" I asked him when silence had descended once again. I'd had my theories about this, but I was curious.

Shoto gave an almost imperceptible shrug as he watched some children playing on the other side of the park. "When we first started meeting, I slept through most of it. It kind of became difficult after a while though. Then I just listened to you and thought."

So, he had been paying more and more attention as time went on. My cheeks turned slightly pink as I thought about how many thoughts I'd vocalised in front of him when we first started this.

"You have me at a disadvantage, you know." I commented, stretching out on my back and resting my head on my bag as I looked up at the leaves above us. "You've heard me say all kinds of things about myself, but I haven't heard much about you."

There was silence for a while after that and I tilted my head to look at him. Shoto appeared to be pondering what I'd said. Or at least, I assumed he was, his face didn't change much from its neutral expression.

"How about this," I began again and he looked at me. "We play twenty questions… kinda… not really actually… just I ask you questions and you answer them. Nothing too serious." Shoto considered it for a moment before he nodded slightly, still watching me.

I smiled. Perfect.

"What's your favourite colour?"

"White."

"White isn't a colour, Shoto, it's a shade." I deadpanned. That was the one thing I remembered from taking art classes in my earlier schooling.

Shoto merely shrugged, seeming unfazed the technicality so I continued.

"Favourite food?"

"Cold soba." For some reason, after that one incident a few weeks ago, that didn't really surprise me.

"If you had a dog, what would you name him?"

Shoto raised his eyebrow at that question and I shrugged from my reclined position. He took a moment to think about it before answering.

"Yoshi." I grinned.

"Favourite pastime?"

"Does sleeping count?"

"No. And neither does training!"

Shoto frowned for a moment in contemplation. "Listening to you."

I blinked. _What? How was that a good pastime?_

" _Why_?"

"Your presence is calming. Also listening to your trivial thoughts is amusing, they aren't as irritating as others."

"Hey! They're not all trivial! Granted, a lot of them are, but not all of them!" I defended myself and Shoto merely hummed. Despite his words, I knew he didn't mean for it to be rude and it made me smile.

We continued like that for a while, me asking him questions about a lot of things, if he listened to music, whether he read books and if so, what? It was nice, after a while though, I could tell Shoto was beginning to tire of the questions and so we called an end to the game. Shoto closed his eyes as he leant back against the tree, but I knew now that he was not sleeping as I stared up at the canopy above me.

"I hope I get offers." I commented as I watched the light filter through the leaves. Despite my confidence that I would, I was still worried that I'd walk into school and Aizawa would tell me that I'd impressed nobody. I hadn't come in the top four and in my final fight I got my ass handed to me, so despite myself, I worried.

"You will." Shoto said it like it was a fact and I sighed.

"I think I will too. But what if I don't?"

"Then you don't." He said simply, like it didn't matter. "It's highly likely that you will though, you beat both Bakugo and I in the obstacle course."

My spirits lifted at the reminder and I grinned. "Yeah, even if I do happen to not receive any offers, I'll always have the look on your face when I beat you to remember."

Shoto looked unimpressed at that and I laughed. We faded into silence. I was pretty sure that Shoto would always be fairly quiet, it was his temperament, and you couldn't expect someone to come out of their shell so quickly after the lifestyle changes he'd been making. I was more than happy to relax in the silence now, content in the knowledge that we were both here by choice.

* * *

It was a couple of days later and we were just finishing basic hero training.

We'd been working on protocols for when we would be on our internships. Covering the different instructions and rules that we would have to follow while under the responsibility of our mentors. It was quite boring and tedious, to say the least. 'Don't leave your mentor, always follow instructions, especially in an emergency'. All the basic stuff that seemed like common sense. I doubted I'd be causing any type of chaos on my internship.

Thankfully though, at the end, All Might announced that we would be given the opportunity to upgrade our costumes, if needed, and to bring the new designs in by Friday.

I contemplated it. There were a few adjustments I'd been considering doing, but I wasn't sure on the specifics yet.

Soon enough, the day was over and I was packing up to leave. Once I was finished, I turned to the door and found Shoto waiting for me. I smiled at him.

Nothing too much had changed in our relationship this week, just this small shift. But overall, he seemed to be just slightly happier, less held back. He was still quiet, but he'd begun to engage with our classmates more regularly. He and Midoriya had even struck up an interesting friendship. One that I felt sure would probably grow over time.

Speaking of Midoriya, we still hadn't discussed the fact that I knew All Might's secret. It had been on the to do list; finding the time to talk to him. But I just hadn't gotten around to it.

Occasionally I found him watching me, probably wondering how much I knew, but there'd been no opportunity to speak with him.

Shoto and I walked together as we left the school and I wondered whether he had just chosen to walk with me, or if he wanted to speak with me.

"What's going on?" I asked him as we left the building.

He shrugged as we walked, looking out towards the school gate. "I figured we could hang out this afternoon. Unless you're busy?" He asked and I felt my face light up in a grin. Shoto glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and his lips twitched when he saw my smile.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." I told him as we walked. I felt butterflies fill my stomach and I tried to ignore them. A thought struck me.

 _Did this count as a proper date?_

I pushed it aside when I felt my cheeks beginning to warm though. Just let it be for now, we could figure it out once we knew more ourselves.

On the way to the park, we talked about our hero costumes. Shoto told me he was going to redo his almost entirely, so that he could use his fire side safely and I nodded, trying to keep my face expressionless as I gaged his thoughts. He seemed to be pretty calm about it, and I felt the relief that he seemed to be coming to terms with embracing his entire Quirk.

"I'm going to change a few things on mine I think, but I haven't fully decided yet." I told him as we made our way into the park. "There's a few things I do want though. I want to add a gas mask, like Midoriya has, but hopefully it can be designed to slide out from the bottom of the visor. It seems really practical and I'd like to maybe add a few more weapon options. Some cable, restraints, those kinds of things as well. As much as I can without making my belt too bulky."

"Are you getting rid of the Quirk nullifier in your visor?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"No, I figured it should still be there for emergencies and stuff. Who knows, maybe I can get to the stage with my Quirk that I can turn it off for a while." I pondered it for a bit but I lost my train of thought when we arrived at our tree.

There were people already there. Children playing underneath it, to be more precise.

"That's our tree." I pointed out stupidly. For some reason it hadn't crossed my mind that people used it on other days.

Shoto hummed in agreement from beside me and I turned to see him watching the group with a small frown. He snapped out of it though and turned to look at me. "We can do something else?"

I nodded, easy enough, it might be nice to do something different with Shoto. "What did you have in mind?"

Shoto turned to look back at the entrance to the park. "You said you liked the markets down the street, right?" He asked and I nodded. He started walking in that direction and I hid an amused smile as I followed him.

* * *

We spent the afternoon weaving through the stalls at the Onderon markets and I felt like it was the happiest I'd been in a long time. Everything in life was going well.

Shoto and I wandered from stall to stall, looking at artwork and sampling foods. We spent a while at a book store where I had to drag Shoto away from the classic literature section. It shouldn't have surprised me that when I asked him the other day what his favourite book genre was he'd responded with the most boring of all. I didn't think he read much, probably too busy to have much time. But he seemed to enjoy reading when he did.

At some point, I had gotten excited over a colourful display and had taken Shoto's hand to drag him in that direction. Afterwards neither of us had let go, and our hands stayed linked for the rest of the afternoon. It gave me a giddy feeling, feeling Shoto's cool palm against mine. I remember abstractly thinking that I was glad it was his cold side, because it stopped my hand from sweating due to nerves.

We'd been there for a while when something caught Shoto's eye and we walked over to a stall showcasing wood engravings. He looked down at a particularly intricate piece that showed multiple snowflakes before picking it up with his free hand to examine it.

"Do you like it?" I asked, standing up on my tip toes to look over his shoulder slightly.

"I want to get it for my mother." He informed me, looking down at it shrewdly, as if surveying whether it was acceptable enough. I bit my lip as I thought about asking, before deciding that if he was opening himself to that line of questioning, it should be alright.

"You've never mentioned your mother before." I said quietly, watching him. He looked up from the artwork and stared off into the distance. I wasn't sure if he was going to answer, when eventually he did.

"She's in a mental hospital after what happened. I visited her on Thursday. I wanted to talk to her… about everything. To apologise for never visiting. I thought seeing me might make her worse… that was foolish."

"…how long has it been since you last saw her?"

"Ten years." He replied and my hand subconsciously tightened on his. He didn't seem to notice, off in his own thoughts at that moment. He'd never gone into detail in his explanation to Midoriya, but it was easy enough to fill in the gaps. His mother had been abused by Shoto's father, and slowly driven mad by it, until she snapped and permanently scarred her son. It made me angry every time I thought of Endeavor but I pushed it aside.

"Did it go well?" I asked tentatively.

He nodded, brightening up slightly and he turned to look at me. "Yeah. I spent most of the weekend with her. We spoke a lot. I told her about my life and how I've been. I'm going to visit her this weekend as well."

I smiled at that, my heart lifting at the thought of it. He was patching things up with his mom, something that I was sure would be beneficial for him. He smiled back at me. Just a small upturn of his lips, but I could tell in his eyes that he was content.

After he bought the woodwork, we wandered around for a little while longer before eventually deciding it was time to leave.

When we arrived at the train station, I stopped, starring up at Shoto with a smile which he returned slightly. "Thank you, Shoto. I had a really good time." I said, kind of awkwardly. He nodded in return and I slowly pulled my hand out of his. I could feel a blush threatening to take over my face and I took my train arriving as an excuse to make a quick escape. "I'll see you tomorrow!" I called quickly, rushing away as the blush took over my face. _Geez, Mirai, if you're going to be a hero you need to get some courage,_ I thought to myself.

"Bye." I heard Shoto call after me and I could feel him watching me as I entered the train.

* * *

Once I was off the train, I slowly made my way down the streets, looking forward to being home. My mother had let me know that she had a meeting this afternoon, negotiating her potential return to her work at some point, so she wouldn't be home until later. I sighed as I contemplated what I would do for dinner tonight. I could-

A wind blew directly past me, blowing my hair into my face and I gasped as something grabbed me before I was being carried at an incredible speed through the city.

My heart was pounding as I tried to get my bearings and figure out what was going on. I hadn't been actively on the lookout for any visions so this had blindsided me. Before I could decide whether or not to attempt to fight against my kidnapper the motion stopped and I was standing still by myself again, while a shadow loomed over me.

All Might.

I couldn't decide between relief or anger as I looked at him. _What the hell?_

"A-All Might! Y-you can't just take her like that!" A voice stuttered in shock from beside the number one hero and I turned to find Midoriya standing a few metres away. He seemed just as surprised to see me as well.

"Ah my apologies, young Himori!" All Might grinned at me and gave a polite bow. I gaped at him, trying to catch my breath after what had just happened. All Might's face grew somber. "But this is important, and it is a priority that we discuss it."

It clicked pretty quickly.

"You told him I knew?" I asked Midoriya, not upset. It made sense that he would inform the number one hero that someone else had discovered his secret. It was only a matter of time and I wondered if this was going to be an explanation or a warning to keep quiet.

Midoriya nodded at me, looking determined and I gave one in return to let him know it was fine. I took the moment of silence to survey my surroundings. We seemed to be on a beach, I didn't recognise the area though, possibly near wherever Midoriya or All Might lived. Or both? There was nobody around and it looked deserted as the sun dipped over the horizon, which surprised me.

"Yes, Midoriya mentioned that you have discovered my secret. However, he did not go into detail before I took it upon myself to find you." All Might almost looked embarrassed for a moment at that and I wanted to laugh, but resisted. "I would like to know how you discovered it, and how much you know. Who told you?"

I paused for a moment as I considered my answer. "Nobody told me. I saw it in a vision while we were at USJ." Midoriya's eyes widened at that as he looked at me.

"That's why you told me to go." He said quietly, a distant look in his eyes like he was remembered the moment. I had seen All Might explode into his smaller self, unable to defend against the villains, before Midoriya had decided to intervene.

I nodded at him again. "Yeah. I didn't know what to think about it, and it kind of escaped my mind. But then something brought it back up at the sports festival, and I saw All Might visit you in his other form while you were in Recovery Girl's office."

All Might hummed at my response, looking into the distance. "A foolish oversight on my part. Your Quirk would give an insight many others may not have. My apologies for taking you from your walk home, however, I needed to ensure my secret would be safe."

"It's alright," I told him, "your secret is safe with me. Although I still don't understand why."

All Might thought about it for a moment, before answering plainly.

"I received an injury, many years ago, that I did not recover from. It has had a significant impact on my physical abilities. I cannot hold this form for long anymore. My limit now is an hour and a half a day, before I must return to my true form."

I gaped at him. _He could only be All Might for an hour and a half a day?_ Why was he maintaining this form right now? Was it an intimidation tactic or was he worried somebody would see him change? Or perhaps it was just tiring for him to switch between forms.

"I didn't know that happened." I said quietly, but it probably wasn't a surprise that if All Might was severely injured, he would keep it out of the media. Knowing the unbeatable number one hero had been defeated could cause a huge panic.

"Yes. It was a long time ago, but the repercussions will stay with me."

"Well, that explains that though. But what about you and Midoriya's relationship? From your honest reaction at the sports carnival I'm guessing you're in fact, not his father. But you have very similar Quirks, and your relationship extends beyond teacher and student." Midoriya and All Might exchanged looks at that and I realised I was getting ahead of myself, prying into things that probably weren't my business.

"I'm sorry, young Himori, but it is best for your safety, and others, that you do not know. The less you know, the less danger we are all in." He told me seriously and I thought about it for a moment. Perhaps he was right, perhaps this was something that I should try to stay out of. If All Might and Midoriya didn't want others involved, it must be for a reason.

I nodded, accepting his explanation and ignoring the burning curiosity I had. "In that case, I'll try to keep myself and my visions out of it, I guess."

Midoriya seemed relieved at that but All Might watched me for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you, young Himori." His personality did a complete flip and suddenly he was grinning at me, before he lifted me again. "Now, let me return you to your home!" He announced and then he shot off before I could even say farewell to Midoriya.

* * *

The next day when I arrived at school, my thoughts still seemed to be circling between focusing on the afternoon I had spent with Shoto and my conversation with All Might and Midoriya.

So they both knew that I knew All Might's secret, but there was more to the story than what they'd told me.

My curiosity rose again but I squished it down. It wasn't my place.

I'd somehow managed to make myself late, so when I entered the classroom, I went straight to my seat, and soon enough Aizawa was entering the room with another tired "morning."

I wondered vaguely why he was always exhausted. Midoriya said he was still an active hero, one who chose to work under the cover of darkness, but it seemed like a stupid decision to both teach and do active heroics during the night.

"Good morning!" The class chorused back to him and he made his way to the podium at the front.

"Himori, what's the lunch special today?" He asked wearily and I took the moment to check. Beside me I saw Ochaco light up at the prospect of knowing. Aizawa didn't ask me every day, but it wasn't uncommon.

"Kare raisu." I told him with a grin. Thankfully, they wouldn't run out today and I was glad. The delicious curry was my favourite.

He nodded and for a moment he had a faraway look in his eyes before he quickly zoned back in.

"Now," Aizawa continued, "For your internships beginning the week after next, the office has mostly finished receiving offers from heroes. And here are the totals for those with offers." He clicked a button on his projector remote and the offers began appearing on the board. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I watched them appear.

 _Todoroki – 4123_

 _Bakugo – 3556_

 _Himori - 532_

 _Tokoyami – 360_

 _Iida – 301_

 _Yaoyorozu – 108_

 _Kirishima – 53_

 _Uraraka – 20_

 _Sero – 14_

532 offers?

 _Holy shit._

I gaped at the board in front of me and I felt my jaw drop a bit. It was true, I had held out the expectation I would receive offers, but not that many.

I felt Shoto looking at me out of the corner of his eye but I couldn't look at him, too busy still staring at the board, expecting it to disappear.

"In other years, it's been more spread out, but all eyes were on these two this year." Aizawa said, gesturing to Shoto and Bakugo's numbers, who yes, their offers were leagues above the rest of us.

"Gah, there's such a big difference!" Denki exclaimed and I agreed with him, but it didn't actually bother me. I'd managed to garner more offers than both Tokoyami and Iida who had made it to the semi-finals. It was surprising, but at the same time, if I thought into it, it wasn't.

There was no doubt in my mind that quite a lot of the offers weren't people interested in helping me, but people only interested in improving their standing by having someone who could give them information. I could provide details about bank robberies and planned out villain attacks.

Yes, I supposed that it would be good training. I'd have the opportunity to put my Quirk to use with that, and I wanted all the training I could get. But I'd rather intern with a hero who also cared about helping me improve on the things I lacked.

"Those pros don't know a good thing when they see one!" Aoyama claimed as the class continued to survey the list.

"Todoroki's first, and Bakugo's second…?" Kyoka asked, looking confused.

"It's the opposite of their placement in the sports festival." Eijiro continued her thoughts, also watching the board in surprise.

I glanced at Shoto and found he had returned to watching the board with a neutral expression. He glanced at me though, once again probably noticing me watching him. He seemed to be trying to ignore the situation.

"Some people are too scared to ask for a guy who had to be restrained on the podium." Hanta said quietly but I still heard his words. I resisted the temptation to snort at that.

"What're the pros scared of?!" Bakugo shouted angrily in return.

"You're amazing, Todoroki." I heard Momo say to Shoto.

"They're probably all because of my dad." He replied and I was tempted to throw something at the side of his head. I called bullshit on that, but I didn't say anything.

Ochaco gained my attention when she turned to me with a half-crazed expression. "Mirai! Can you see it! We got offers! We got offers!" She reached over her desk and began shaking Iida by the shoulders. "Iida! We got offers!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Keeping these results in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships with pros. They'll last for a week. As for where you'll have them, those who had offers from pros will be given your own lists, so you can choose from those yourself. Those who didn't have offers will choose from among forty agencies around the country that will be accepting our interns."

At this he held up a sheet of paper which I guessed had the list of hero agencies. I wondered what kind of agencies were on the list, but Aizawa kept speaking, before I could ask.

"They all work in different places and have different specialties. For example, Thirteen would be focused on rescues from accidents and disasters more than fighting villains. Think carefully before you choose."

"Yes, sir!"

Aizawa passed out everyone's lists, before providing those of us who had received offers with different ones. I noticed with amusement that Shoto's list could pass as a novel, with how thick the pile was. Mine was maybe a novelette.

"Turn in your choices before the weekend." Aizawa told us as he left the room, probably to go sleep somewhere.

"We've only got two days?!" Hanta asked in shock.

"Make your decision efficiently. Dismissed." Aizawa replied before he closed the door.

I skimmed through the list. Some of these were heroes I'd never heard of and would probably do a bit of research on. It was possible they were just very low-level heroes, but they still might specialise in areas that interested me. Others, I could tell pretty quickly that they were only interested in me for how my Quirk could directly apply to them, but not how they could help me. There were a few others that interested me. There was an agency that specialised in finding missing people, and another that focused on natural disaster relief, similar to Thirteen's agency no doubt. But my eyes stopped when I noticed one name.

 _Endeavor Hero Agency._

 _Endeavor? He wanted me to intern?_ I glanced at Shoto with wide eyes but he was staring at his own list in surprise. When he looked up at me and noticed what I was distracted by, his own eyes widened further before they narrowed.

"What's he planning…" he murmured quietly. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to hear it. I noticed his eyes had drifted back to his own list where I could see 'Endeavor Hero Agency' was also written. I wasn't sure what to think about it.

Before I could decide any further though, Present Mic made his way loudly into the room and we turned our attention to the front. We'd have to discuss our offers later.

* * *

When it reached lunchtime, Shoto turned to me and I could tell he wanted to discuss my father giving me an offer. I smiled at him and gestured towards the door.

"At lunch? I'm starving!" I told him and he nodded, following me out into the hallway. Most of the class was still in the classroom, discussing the internships but I figured we might need to be somewhere else to talk.

We stayed silent until we had grabbed our food and found a table. This was the first time we'd spent lunch together at the school, but it didn't feel strange. I didn't think it would become a daily thing, but it wouldn't surprise me if it happened again. Especially since as Class 1A grew closer, we had begun to shuffle around with who we spent lunch with, growing more comfortable in our classmates' presence.

I'd spent majority of our mathematics class thinking in great detail about Endeavor's offer, probably not the best decision considering my understanding of the dreadful subject but I took what I could get.

"I'm going to accept his offer." I told Shoto and he looked up at me with a mouthful of rice, apparently surprised. Once he'd swallowed his food - ever the polite boy - he replied.

"I thought you'd want to internship with a pro hero in rescue or something?"

"Well yeah, I had considered that. But I still actually haven't decided what kind of hero work I'd like to do. And plus, I think I could learn a lot from him."

I relayed the conversation I'd had with Endeavor at the sports carnival to Shoto and he seemed mildly surprised at first before he seemed to accept it pretty easily, probably coming to the same conclusion I had.

"I was really confused by what he said at first, but with this offer it makes a bit more sense. I think interning with him will help. I need to become a better fighter, especially in circumstances that I can't use my Quirk to gain the upper hand. I feel like Endeavor will help with that."

And it's not like he only wants me as an intern to use my Quirk to climb the pro-hero tree.

Well… actually… that was kind of incorrect. He did only want me for my Quirk, but he'd started that process over four months ago when he'd arranged the betrothal for Shoto and I. And Endeavor's goal was that the Todoroki family would rise as one of the greatest hero families of all time, which would include me. So, it was in his best interest that I was a successful hero.

"I see." Shoto said, and I could tell he actually understood my reasoning. "It won't be pleasant, training with him, but he probably can help you in the areas where you struggle." I nodded, twirling my chopsticks around in my bowl.

"Yeah, it will be strange… but I think it'll be really beneficial. Have you decided yet?"

"I was also thinking his office." He told me and I choked on the food in my mouth. Shoto watched me with a frown as I tried to recover.

"I didn't expect that. I thought you'd use the opportunity to get as far away from him as possible."

Shoto scowled. "I don't want to spend time with him. But he's the number two hero for a reason, and I'd be a fool to waste the opportunity, especially since he can help with a few things to do with my fire side." He reasoned and I nodded around a mouthful of curry and rice. He wasn't wrong. And being forced to spend some measure of time with him probably wasn't new to Shoto considering he lived with him.

"So… we're both going to Endeavor's then?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around it. I hadn't expected this outcome when I walked into school today. I wondered whether the internship would give us the opportunity we needed to talk about our relationship.

"Does it bother you that we're interning at the same place?" He asked me and I blinked.

"No! No that's not it! I was just thinking is all… Does it bother you?" I asked in return, feeling unsure. Maybe he didn't actually want me there.

"No. Why would it?"

 _I don't know, maybe the catastrophic relationship you have with him and the fact that I'm your fiancée._

"Because he's your father." I replied and Shoto hummed.

"It's fine. You know what he's like and how I feel about him anyway. As long as you're comfortable going there, I don't care."

I nodded as we both continued eating. "Like I said, I think it'll be good for me. And like you said, he's the number two hero for a reason. I want to learn all I can, especially if I want to be a credible hero."

Shoto nodded in agreement and we fell into a comfortable silence. That silence was broken, however, when Midoriya and Tsuyu approached our table. In the distance I could also see Iida and Ochaco walking in our direction.

"Can we sit here?" Midoriya asked tentatively and I noticed that he was looking at me when he asked. Was he worried I'd say no? Or just nervous after the conversation with All Might yesterday?

"Yeah!" I answered with a bright smile and I could see the tension leak out of Midoriya's shoulders as he and Tsuyu settled beside us at the table. Ochaco and Iida arrived as well and even though Shoto and I were relatively quiet, the conversation flowed easily and was comfortable. I noticed however, that Iida didn't say a word the entire time.

I smiled as I thought about the internships that would be starting the week after next. I wondered what to expect… hopefully I would get some good experience.

* * *

 **Woo! Exciting! Mirai and Shoto are off to Hosu City with Endeavor together! Okie dokie, guys. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to favourite, follow and review please if you haven't!**

 **Next week: Internships begin!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Title Unwanted – Thank you! :D I really appreciate it! Don't worry, I'm enjoying my classes so that's going well. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Taffdog19943 – Haha! Don't worry, I was excited to update!**

 **Guest – Thank you! :D**

 **Love Remedy: As always, thank you! :D Yeah, I don't think Endeavor's the type of father to worry about things like that, especially since Shoto ended up there because he wouldn't use his fire. A lot of people have had that assumption about the 'we'll see' comment, but that wasn't where I planned on taking it at all! So I hope everyone isn't too blindsided… haha. Endeavor's an ass but he's never said anything really sexist or such and as I mentioned, his goal is a family of super powerful heroes, so that includes Mirai as well. Yeah, I really enjoyed writing that! (actually, it was stressful, but I had been looking forward to writing it for ages haha) Yeah, you'll just have to wait and see how the internship goes then, hey! :D**

 **Kalmaegi – Thanks! I was pretty happy with how some of those moments went :) Everyone seemed to think Endeavor was being shady with that but I didn't mean for it to be read like that actually haha. Hope you enjoyed the direction anyway though!**

 **Shadowsnow – No you didn't miss anything! I was really glad when I saw your review because I was like 'oh god, everyone thinks Endeavor's going to go full asshole and interfere with Mirai's future and that wasn't where I was heading at all' haha. Thank you though! :)**

 **Curlystruggle – Haha! Thanks! :D Yeah, I liked how the fight with Bakugo went actually :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

 **Wolfenergy17 – Wow, thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying it and I hope you continue to! :D**


	19. Revelations

**HEY GUYS!**

 **I hope you all had a nice long weekend! Here's a gift (not really a gift, when you're expected to upload it but still). There's a fair bit of Shoto and Mirai in this chapter so happy days! Although I'm expecting that to just increase over time anyway.**

 **I'm on break from uni so I'm hoping to upload another chapter within the week at least, however, we'll have to see how my assignments go.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The time before our internships felt like it passed very quickly, and before I knew it, the entire class was at the train station with Aizawa, preparing to head off to our separate destinations throughout the country.

Shoto and I were unsure where we were actually spending our internship, since the only official correspondence between Endeavor Hero Agency and us had been to inform us to pack clothes for the week, which suggested we weren't staying in this district. I'd considered asking Shoto if his father had told him anything about it but I assumed he probably tried to limit his conversations with the man to a minimum. That was going to change this week, no doubt.

The two of us had continued to spend time together over the last week, which I enjoyed a lot. We'd spent a couple of afternoons just hanging out together in the park, talking and growing accustomed to the new openness in our relationship, although there was still the undiscussed tension of what our relationship now was.

Shoto and I had also spent a couple of lunch times together which was nice. He was still quiet, seemingly content in just listening to the conversations around him and occasionally making comments. I remembered one particular lunch at the end of last week, when I'd also had an interesting visitor.

* * *

 _I was the first of the class to take a seat at lunch that day so I was sitting by myself when my visitor sat down across from me. Iida had been directly behind me in line and when he'd been informed of the unexpected lunch item change that Lunch Rush had done, he'd begun asking the lunch hero a series of questions about it. I could see the queue building up behind him and getting frustrated as he questioned the regulations behind the change. It was the most I'd seen him talk since the sports carnival._

 _The amused smile fell off my face though when I looked up at my visitor and immediately recognised the prominent dark bags under his purple eyes and his wild unkempt hair._

 _Shinso._

 _I wasn't sure how to react to his presence so I just nodded at him. I'd moved on from the incident at the sports carnival, but Shinso and I didn't interact a lot in school anyway, especially just to 'hang out', so I was wary. He didn't have any food in front of him so I assumed that he was just visiting and I decided to wait for him to speak first._

 _"Himori."_

 _"Shinso."_

 _"How are you?"_

 _I raised my eyebrow at him but he met my stare evenly, seeming perfectly at ease as he sat back in his chair. "I'm fine, how are you?" I answered blasely._

 _"Fine." He answered, there was a smirk at the edge of his mouth and we just watched each other for a moment before he continued. "Do you remember our second day of middle school?"_

 _"Yeah," I replied as I also smirked at the memory. We'd discussed our Quirks in the morning of our second day and that lunch time, a few classmates had approached Shinso, asking about his Quirk. Some of the boys in the class had been huddled in the back of the classroom, whispering about Shinso becoming a villain._

 _I'd seen his shoulders tense up, obviously hearing them over the distance and before I'd known what was happening I'd thrown my apple at the group of them, calling them out on their stupidity for assuming someone would become a villain just because their Quirk suited it._ "Lots of Quirks suit villains! I could easily rob stores with mine, Tisashi could break into vaults with hers! Don't be so judgemental!" _The boys had looked successfully cowed and from then on, the class kept their whispers and uneasy looks about Shinso to a minimum, or at least became more subtle with it around me. It was still there, but not as bad._

 _"That's the only time I've ever received a detention, you know." I told Shinso and he nodded, looking unsurprised._

 _"It was the first time I realised you're not always as calm and collected as you appear to be." He responded and I nodded. It was something I struggled with occasionally, keeping up the façade of cool and collected. But as time went on, I was beginning to embrace the more outwardly emotional part of me, instead of keeping things bottled up. "I wanted to thank you."_

 _I felt my eyes widen as I looked at him._

 _"You made my path a little easier, and it helped me get where I am." He explained and I blinked. Huh. I'd never considered anything like that, I hadn't realised that it had such a big impact on Shinso. To me, it had just been stopping a couple of idiots from being careless and rude._

 _"You're welcome. But where are you now, then?"_

 _He shrugged, still perfectly relaxed and I noticed his eyes lightened up as he spoke. "I had a meeting with Nezu. Apparently, people tried to give me offers, but since I'm in general education, I can't accept them."_

 _"Really? That's great!" I felt a grin form on my face as he spoke. I hadn't expected that and I was so glad he was receiving positive feedback. "What does that mean?"_

 _Shinso's face darkened slightly again as he met my gaze. "I can't accept the offers, and I'm not eligible to transfer into the hero course yet. However, Nezu told me if I train outside of school, I have a high chance of being transferred into our year at some point in the future."_

 _"That's awesome!" I enthused, and he nodded, his face was expressionless but I could tell he was pleased. "So, you need to train physically, in order to keep up with us?" He nodded again._

 _I felt eyes on me and it seemed that Shinso did to as we both turned towards the lunch line. Apparently, Iida was finished questioning the chef as he was making his way slowly across the cafeteria towards us. Behind him I could see Shoto and Midoriya watching us. Shoto had his eyes narrowed as he stared at us while Midoriya's were blown wide, before he waved timidly at Shinso. Shinso ignored him, turning back to me._

 _"I don't think your boyfriend likes me."_

 _"He's not my boyfriend." I replied, turning my attention to the food in front of me for the first time and hoping he couldn't see the blush slowly forming._

 _"Your fiancée then."_

 _I gaped at him for a moment. "How did you find out?"_

 _"People in the hero course are so self-absorbed, they rarely take note of their surroundings when they talk."_

 _Huh. Interesting. For a moment, I worried about the fact that Shinso knew that it wouldn't be a business betrothal. Nabu Middle School wasn't exactly filled with well-off families. But studying his face, I knew he didn't particularly care about anything like that anyway. He'd probably been collecting information on all of us in the hero course like that for a while now._

 _"I'm assuming that's how you knew about my eyes, as well?" I guessed and he nodded._

 _It made sense and once again, I wasn't surprised about him. His observation was impressive, and I felt he had the potential to be a great hero one day._

 _"You know," I mentioned casually, a plan coming into my head. "Aizawa-sensei, he's actually a pro-hero named Eraser Head. His Quirk, while different to yours, has some similar components, similar downsides. And he's spent a lot of time doing combat training to make up for it."_

 _Shinso stared at me for a moment, digesting what I said, before he nodded. "Aizawa, huh?" He paused, considering it, before his mouth twisted into what looked like a smile. "See you around, Himori." He continued before he stood up slowly and began walking away. He'd probably decided that he'd lingered in the spot light for long enough._

 _"I've forgiven you, you know." I called out after him and he turned slightly, just enough that I could see the smirk on his face before he was gone again._

 _Iida put his tray down in the spot across from me not long after, apparently oblivious to Shinso's visit and I greeted him. He nodded at me before he dug into his food. I sighed. Something was definitely bothering him, but I felt that after Shoto and Shinso, I'd messed around enough in my peers lives and I should probably stop interfering._

 _Shoto and Midoriya arrived soon after, taking the seats next to me and Iida respectively and Midoriya immediately turned his attention to me._

 _"Himori, what did Shinso want to speak to you about?" He asked me curiously and I shrugged as we were then joined by Eijiro and Denki. Now that Iida was no longer blocking the line, people were retrieving their food quickly._

 _"He just wanted to apologise for the sports carnival." I lied to him, not in the mood to explain the whole story. Shoto, Eijiro and Denki, who had all become extremely absorbed in their food the moment they sat down, all paused and looked at me._

 _"Sports carnival? What happened at the sports carnival?" Denki asked through a mouthful of pork._

 _"He used his Quirk on me, as well as Ojiro during the second round to control us. I don't remember anything that happened during it. Ojiro decided to withdraw though and I didn't."_

 _"Wait, really?!"_

 _"I didn't know that!"_

 _Shoto remained quiet beside me but I could tell he was surprised as he watched me. I shrugged at them, unbothered. Over the last week and a half, I'd moved on from it. More important things had happened in the carnival than that._

 _"Yeah, we went to middle school together, so I wasn't expecting him to use it on me. But it's fine, I've forgiven him." I told them and Shoto continued to frown in contemplation for a moment, before he scanned the cafeteria, probably looking for Shinso who was now long gone. However, apparently the calling of food was too much and he returned to his meal, quietly listening to the rest of us as we discussed our internships beginning on Monday._

* * *

I was brought out of my memories and back to the train station by a very familiar voice calling out my name.

"Mirai! Mirai, honey! You forgot your hairbrush!"

I felt the blood drain from my face and I uneasily met Shoto's eyes from where he was standing next to me as the voice approached us.

 _Oh god, why._

I turned to find my mom, making her way through the crowd towards me. She smiled and waved and at this point, the entirety of Class 1A, plus Aizawa, was watching her approach.

I heard a squeal from off to the side, and I saw Mina, standing with Eijiro, Hanta and Denki. All of them had wide grins on their faces and Mina was gripping Hanta's arm and bouncing up and down as my mother approached.

"Mirai! Is that your mom?"

"She looks just like you!" Ochaco whispered conspiratorially from behind me.

"She's so cute!"

My face was red in mortification as my mom arrived in front of us, smiling brightly. Her blue hair was beginning to return underneath her bandana, and she waved at the class but her eyes were settled on Shoto. I began to have a sneaking suspicion that I hadn't forgotten the hairbrush that she had clutched in her hand, but that she'd removed it from my bag so she'd have an excuse to come to the station.

"Mom," I began and I could hear the childish whine in my voice. Shoto was watching her approach warily. "I could have just bought a new one, you know? You didn't have to come to the station."

"Oh, don't worry, I know! But I wanted to meet Shoto again!" She replied with a wide grin. She handed me the hairbrush absentmindedly as her attention returned to Shoto.

"Hello Shoto, how are you? It's good to see you! You should come to dinner some time, we'd love to have you!" I turned away from the scene in shame, distracting myself by putting the brush in my bag. _Oh god, why did she have to do this?_ I knew she'd eventually get her way, but I was hoping she'd wait until we'd cleared the air between us.

Shoto had a tiny smile playing at the edge of his lips as he glanced over at me, before he turned his attention back to my mother. His wary expression was still there, however, he seemed to have decided to just let it happen.

"Mrs. Himori, I'm fine thanks, how are you?" He responded politely and she scoffed at him.

"I've told you, you can call me Hikari! Don't let Mirai get into trouble on this internship will you?" Shoto nodded and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mina rushing forward.

"Hi! I'm Mina Ashido! You're Mirai's mom! It's nice to meet you!" She exclaimed excitedly and I saw the boys approaching behind her as well. Everyone's attention was firmly placed on the scene in front of us, except for Aizawa, who was eyeing the yellow sleeping bag on the ground next to him longingly. I doubted he cared much for any of this.

Acting quickly, I reached out and took my mom's hand, dragging her away before she could inform my classmates about my childhood embarrassments or something. Mina pouted but everyone else watched us walk away in amusement.

Once there was a bit of distance between us, I turned to my mom. "Was that necessary?" I asked her with another whine in my voice and she grinned at me.

"Definitely. I just wanted to meet your friends. You speak about them but they never come over."

 _That's because they're under the impression that we're rich which is why I'm betrothed to Shoto. The only ones who know are Midoriya, Bakugo and Momo, who's done an excellent job of keeping the secret with no explanation so far._

I didn't say that though, I just sighed as I looked at her fondly. She was a menace. I remember when she warned me that once she was out of hospital, I wouldn't be able to stop her from talking to Shoto, and here we were.

"So, are you inviting Shoto over for dinner one night? I still don't know much about him." She asked me as she turned her attention back to the group behind us. They'd all returned to talking amongst themselves now, and I was pretty sure Aizawa was waiting for me to return before he sent everyone off.

"I don't know, maybe…" I told her hesitantly. Perhaps over the week of our internship we could finally have a proper discussion. "I'm not sure if…" I trailed off though, noticing the expression on my mother's face. She was still staring at the rest of the class, but her eyes had gone wide, before a downcast expression fell over her face and she pursed her lips grimly.

I turned to survey my classmates, and they seemed perfectly at ease. So, whatever it was, wasn't visible. Had she felt something?

"What is it?" I asked as I glanced at her. She looked worried.

"That tall boy with the glasses. Who is he?"

 _Iida?_

I stared at Iida for a moment, he seemed fine, however, he still had that weird aura around him. It had been there since the sports carnival, he was quiet, not involved. He seemed to be grimly determined about something and I felt worry bubble up inside me.

"His name's Iida. He's a friend, mom, what do you feel?"

She watched him for a moment longer before turning back to me. "His future… it keeps flickering between bright and dark. Like it's in the balance over something that's going to happen soon."

The worry rose further at that and I turned back to Iida. What was causing this? Of all the people to find themselves in this situation in the class, I had never expected Iida to be one.

"Mirai, remember honey, you can't help everyone." Mom told me, her voice gentle and I frowned, nodding to her absently. I couldn't help everyone.

But I could try.

Aizawa called out to us from across the station, it appeared his patience had run its course. "Himori, you're wasting everyone's time. If you'd be so generous as to return to the class."

I swallowed the lump in my throat before waving at him in acknowledgement and turning back to my mom. "I have to go, sorry, but I'll see you in a week!" I gave her a hug quickly, and with one final grin, I turned and walked back towards the class.

My eyes strayed to Iida as I walked over and I felt Shoto watching me out of the corner of his eye as I arrived next to him. I nodded to him before I turned my attention to Aizawa.

"You all have your costumes, right?" Aizawa asked us as we focused in on him and I retrieved my briefcase with the number '10' on it from where I'd left it on the ground beside Shoto. "Remember, you aren't allowed to wear them in public. Don't drop them or anything."

"Yessir!" Mina announced excitedly, holding her costume up in the air like a trophy.

"Speak clearly! It's 'yes, sir', Ashido." Aizawa scolded and Mina deflated slightly.

"Yes, sir…"

"Make sure you mind your manners with the heroes at your internships!" Aizawa informed us and I felt the weight in my stomach lift just slightly as I listened to him. Aizawa getting all parent-like on the class always amused me. "Off with you, now."

"Yes, sir!" The class replied in unison, before people split off in all directions, chatting away happily as they did. My eyes strayed to Iida in front of me again as he walked away and I noticed Shoto was also watching him. We both watched Iida walk away for a moment, before Shoto spoke, eyes still on the blue-haired boy's retreating form.

"Why are you worried about Iida?" He asked me and I frowned. He picked up on that quickly.

"How did you know I was worried about him?"

"You fiddle with your hair when you're anxious, and you purse your lips when you're worried, it seems your mother does that to." He informed me calmly as we watched Midoriya and Ochaco approach Iida.

"I wasn't fiddling with my-" I cut myself off when I realised that, yeah, I probably actually was. I sighed, ignoring that, before addressing his actual question. "My mom felt something from him."

At that, Shoto actually turned his attention away from the trio ahead of us to look at me. Everyone had disbanded quickly so we were some of the only ones left standing where Aizawa had been.

"She said his future kept flickering between 'bright and dark'. Like he was wrestling with a bad decision. I'm worried."

Shoto hummed from beside me, turning his attention back to where Iida was talking to Midoriya and Ochaco. "Yeah. I've also been worried about him after the sports carnival. He's been acting… like me. I wasn't sure how bad it would get though."

I frowned, watching as Iida turned and left his two friends standing there, staring after him. The dread in my stomach was increasing and I supressed a sigh. Looks like my decision to avoid entangling myself in my classmates' affairs was not panning out. I had another new priority.

"Our train leaves in five minutes, we should go." Shoto informed me and I shook myself from my distracted state, nodding. I rushed over to where Mina stood with Kyoka and Denki, who hadn't left yet and said goodbye to them, before Shoto and I left for our train.

* * *

The train was surprisingly crowded when we got on, so I moved over to stand in a corner out of the way, before searching forward to see if I could find anything in Iida's future.

I felt Shoto stand next to me as I closed my eyes and searched. I was holding the rail above my hand, but every time the train jostled, Shoto would brace me from falling since I was distracted in my visions. He didn't seem to mind though. Searching for Iida's future wasn't the easiest task, but my motivation was high right then.

Something was going to happen in Iida's future, and it could go very badly.

The ride to Endeavor's office was around half an hour and I spent the first twenty minutes searching. Eventually I sighed and gave up, finding nothing useful as to what the threat was. When I opened my eyes, Shoto tilted his head to look at me.

"I'm assuming you were looking into Iida's future?" He asked and I nodded. He waited patiently for me to fill him in and I sighed again.

"Nothing useful. His internship is in Hosu City with Manuel, the Normal Hero. Not what I expected, but it's not exactly a sure ticket to him getting into danger. Why would he choose that agency though?"

Shoto frowned, adjusting his grip on the bar above us. "Perhaps he wanted a more rounded experience as to what heroes do? His family is filled with elite heroes. There wouldn't be as much of a day to day lifestyle with them as those like Manuel."

I nodded, understanding his point. In the visions I'd seen, he'd spent a lot of time just patrolling and having Manuel speak to him about a hero's other duties, it was probably a very good 'beginner's guide to heroism' internship, but it didn't sit right. The mention of Iida's family also reminded me of another thing I'd seen.

"I also saw him visiting his brother in the hospital… do you know what actually happened to him?"

"Midoriya said his brother was defeated by a villain while working. There was a news article discussing whether Ingenium would return to hero work or if his injuries were too severe and he'd retire."

I felt a frown form on my face as I digested what he was saying. I remembered reading once that Ingenium was based in Hosu, and the vision I'd seen had him visiting his brother at hospital, so perhaps he'd chosen his placement so he could be there while is brother recovered. But if that was the case, why was my mom getting a bad feeling from him?

"What are you thinking?" Shoto asked me and I saw him watching me out of the corner of my eye, his red and white hair covered his eyes slightly as he surveyed me.

"I don't know." I replied. _I really didn't know_.

I wasn't allowed to brood for long though, because we soon arrived at the station and Shoto and I made our way out onto the streets. Endeavor Hero Agency was in a high-rise office building a block away as we made our way towards it down the bustling road.

"So, why were we asked to pack for the week if your father's office is in the city?" I asked Shoto, adjusting the backpack on my back. I hadn't meant to bring it up, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me. I'd looked into it, but my visions had been slightly blurry, apparently Endeavor hadn't fully confirmed his plans yet, I wondered if Shoto knew the outline though.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Shoto shrugged as we approached the building and he stared up at the exterior. "I don't talk with him often, and he hasn't mentioned anything, so I don't know what he's planning."

"Alright," I replied, also looking up at the building. We made our way in silently and I expected to have to inform the reception that we were here to see Endeavor. However, Shoto just ignored everyone and made his way to the elevator and I followed him.

"Do you visit here often?" I asked him as Shoto pressed the button for his father's office level and the doors closed.

"No. But they know who I am, and I'm assuming my father told them we were coming." He replied as he looked at the numbers above us slowly rising, before he turned to me.

"Are you nervous?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"No. Why?"

"You're playing with your hair again."

I immediately pulled my hand down from where I had been unconsciously pulling at one of my pigtails again. I sighed in frustration.

"I don't know. I think I'm just stressed about a lot of things, especially Iida." That particular one was haunting me at the moment. I'd seen firsthand what my mother's 'dark' futures could bring, and it was daunting. The only comfort I took at the moment was knowing that Iida wasn't about to be hit by a bus or something ridiculous.

Shoto merely nodded at my answer though and then the doors were opening and we were making our way towards his father's office door. When we arrived, Shoto knocked before waiting a moment and just walking in. I followed him silently, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves I was feeling.

Endeavor was watching us as we entered and we approached the desk he was standing behind. The room was huge and mostly empty and I couldn't help but feel that it added to the intimidation Endeavor gave off. He surveyed me for a moment, before turning his attention to his son.

"I have been waiting for you, Shoto. It seems you are finally ready to take the path of the mighty, huh?" He asked and Shoto didn't react for a moment.

"I have no intention of going down a path you made. I will take my own path." Shoto responded calmly and I resisted the urge to smirk. _Go Shoto_.

Endeavor scoffed, seemingly amused before he turned his attention back to me. "And you, Himori? What path will you take?"

"I'm just here to learn." I informed him lamely, keeping my expression neutral. I didn't need to involve myself in their family drama any more than I already was, and it seemed they were fine without my input for the moment anyway.

Endeavor's grin widened further in amusement before he addressed the both of us. "Oh well, you both should get ready, too. We're going out." I adjusted the bag on my back as Shoto asked Endeavor the obvious question.

"Where? To do what?"

Endeavor paused and looked at me. "Himori, are you familiar with the Hero Killer?" He asked.

 _The Hero Killer?_ I shook my head. I assumed he was a villain who'd chosen that moniker.

"According to the news, he's the one who injured Iida's brother." Shoto informed me quietly and I felt my eyes widen.

"Yes, Ingenium was not good enough to stop him, however, the same will not be said for me. I intend to defeat him, once and for all." Endeavor announced and he seemed so self-assured in his ability to defeat him. "My information suggests that if this incident follows precedent, then the Hero Killer will appear in Hosu City again. Do you know if that's accurate?"

I was surprised by his question and I hesitated. I wasn't sure if he was testing me, or if he genuinely wanted my confirmation. Either way I didn't think I could offer it. I may as well try though.

I searched forward, looking for the Hero Killer. But I couldn't find anything. I didn't even know what to search for. I could find my own future easily, Iida was more difficult, but since we were friends, and spent time together, I could find him too if I just focused on him, even if it was draining. The Hero Killer though, I knew nothing about him. Trying to find him was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, with no directions as to where to begin my search.

I shook my head at Endeavor. "I need more information on him. I've never met him, I can't so easily look into his future like that." I told him and fortunately, he didn't seem surprised. He merely picked up a thick folder that had been laying on his desk and handed it to me.

"We will go to Hosu for a time on a business trip and work there. Read it on the way there. I plan on using your Quirk to help me defeat him." He told me sternly and I nodded. I was surprisingly glad that Endeavor knew a bit about my Quirk already, although, I suppose it made sense since he did the research to find me to begin with. Endeavor left the room, informing his staff to contact the officials in Hosu City and I stared down at the folder in my hands.

Once Endeavor was gone, Shoto came closer to me to look at the file I was holding. It was labelled 'Hero Killer' and was filled with newspaper clippings and surveillance photos, places he'd been spotted, witness accounts. I wondered what strings he'd pulled to retrieve this from the police, but I had a feeling it was mostly research he'd conducted himself.

I raised my eyebrow at Shoto, indicating the heavy folder and he shrugged, apparently also surprised at the turn of events, before we left the room after Endeavor.

* * *

The train ride to Hosu City was a few hours so it gave me plenty of time to think.

Shoto and I were sitting in the dining cart across from each other as we ate lunch. The file sat on the table beside us and it seemed to be growing bigger every time I looked at it. We didn't talk much though, content in the silence and absorbed in our own thoughts.

Endeavor was nowhere to be seen and I assumed he was off in first class by himself or something, away from us. That arrangement didn't bother me in the slightest though.

I knew the first step towards finding the Hero Killer was reading the file, but unfortunately my mind was still stuck on Iida and I'd decided to give it another go as I closed my eyes and searched for the bespectacled boy. Shoto was entirely silent in front of me, calmly eating his food.

It took maybe fifteen minutes but finally I saw something. And it filled me with dread.

 _Iida. Pinned to the ground in an alleyway while a shadow stood over him, holding a blade. The blade thrust down suddenly-_

I blinked, ripping myself out of the vision with a gasp and met Shoto's surprised gaze with my own terrified one.

 _Oh, Iida, what did you do?_

Something else niggled at the edge of my brain, but it wasn't a vision, it was an idea.

Iida. Hosu City. Blades. Ingenium's injury. _Hero Killer_.

I picked up the file, ignoring Shoto's questioning gaze for the moment as I opened it to the first page with basic stats.

 _Name: Unknown_

 _Alias: Stain (Hero Killer)_

 _Location: Predicted - Hosu City (seven previous locations)._

 _Quirk: Unidentified (immobilises victims)._

 _Preferred Weapon: Blades (Knives, Swords, Daggers)_

Blades.

 _Blades._

I met Shoto's gaze, unable to even comprehend what I was going to say. It seemed so out of character, so strange of him. But perhaps he was distracted by grief at the moment. He wasn't thinking clearly.

"Iida went to Hosu to take down the Hero Killer."

Shoto's eyes widened further in surprise. But after a moment, I could see the thoughts running through his head. He was working through the reasoning behind Iida's decision in his head no doubt.

"He's not thinking clearly… consumed with the rage from his brother's injury. It's unexpected of Iida, but not surprising."

"But what do we do?" I asked him, my mind racing.

If we told the authorities, Iida would likely have to go through a hearing and be removed from the hero course for unethical behaviour. Kicked out of school because he was too consumed in his own thoughts, unable to think. Perhaps if someone had been there for him more, we could have prevented this.

Informing the school was the last thing any of us wanted and I could tell Shoto agreed. But we also couldn't do nothing.

"We'll also be in Hosu. If we message him and ask him to meet us, perhaps we can talk to him safely, without any severe consequences." Shoto paused and he stared out the window beside us, apparently lost in his thoughts for a moment. "I've been where he's been. He needs help, not punishment."

I nodded, accepting his plan. "Okay, so tomorrow, we'll get in contact with him and try to meet him? Until then, what?" Shoto's eyes drifted to the folder in front of us and I sighed.

He was right. The more I knew about the Hero Killer, the more I could help Iida. Plus, if I wanted my internship to be successful, I should probably read it anyway. I pushed aside the plates and bowls as I opened the folder, before handing a pile of newspaper clippings to Shoto.

"Let me know if you find anything, please. I'm going to look through everything else." Shoto merely nodded and began reading and I picked up a picture. It was a sketch of what the Hero Killer was presumed to look like, based on the witness accounts of those that survived. I stared at it for a moment, trying to absorb his physical features into my head before I moved on to the next photo. The hideout he used while in Kofu.

We stayed like that for two hours, just researching the Hero Killer. As time went on, I was tempted to use my Quirk again to try and find him but I knew I couldn't yet. It was already difficult enough, using my Quirk as a method of finding people. My head was already aching dully from using it to try and find Iida's future but I ignored it.

 _Perhaps if I looked into my future in Hosu? Or the future of Hosu city in general?_ But I didn't think that would work.

Eventually I stopped and it seemed Shoto had had enough as well.

"So," I began tiredly, rubbing my temples to try and remove the headache, this time from studying. I hated studying. "I have an idea on his type of hide outs, and what he looks like based on witness reports and security footage. But it's still not much. All people say about him is that he seems kind of crazy."

Shoto hummed in agreement. "According to these, he's killed seventeen pro-heroes, and injured twenty-four, including Iida's brother. He's been to a total of seven cities so far, at least that they know of, and he's injured a minimum of four heroes. Ingenium is the first from Hosu."

I nodded, absorbing the information as Shoto summarised what he'd found. It helped me get a 'feel' for him. I could understand why Endeavor wanted to go to Hosu. If his pattern continued, Iida's brother wouldn't be the last victim. But _seventeen heroes_. This guy was dangerous.

"From what I can gather, he doesn't go after popular pro-heroes as much. Ingenium is probably the most successful hero he's attacked, and I think that's because he was tracking him. He mostly goes after the lower tier heroes. Perhaps he's wary of going up against those with higher success rates?"

I heard a 'humph' from beside us and turned to see Endeavor standing over our table. I hadn't even seen him approach, so absorbed in my thoughts. "As he should be. He will not defeat me."

Shoto's expression was blank as he turned to his father and Endeavor continued to survey us.

"It's good, that you are both taking this research seriously. People tend to forget that sometimes being a hero involves background work. You can't rely on only the police for cases such as this."

I blinked. _Wow. That was actually helpful, despite the air of superiority he had_. I didn't know what to think about that and I thought Shoto felt the same. I pushed it from my mind though as I turned back to the sketch in front of me. It was time to see if I could find him.

I closed my eyes and searched, channelling the practice I'd had with Aizawa when trying to find out the contents of the sports festival. Looking into this man's particular future. I didn't need anything detailed, not a plan he was currently building, I just needed-

 _A man stood crouched on the edge of a high-rise building. I could see the blades strapped to his back as he surveyed the city and what looked like a fabric mask blew in the breeze. I recognised one of the buildings in front of him._

I opened my eyes again, ignoring the stabbing pain from using my Quirk as I met Shoto's curious gaze, before turning to Endeavor's expectant one.

"He's in Hosu." I confirmed and he nodded, looking pleased. "I saw him on top of a building, and I could see the Nakatomi Incorporation in front of him."

"Good. When we arrive, we'll train, and tomorrow we can search for him. Will you be able to find him?" He asked me and I nodded hesitantly.

"Now that I have a feel for him I think I'll be alright. Especially once we're in the same city. I could try looking into upcoming news reports about him and backtrack locations from that…" I trailed off as I thought it over in my head. I actually wasn't sure if that would work, but it was definitely worth a shot. And being in the same city as him would definitely help me track down his location, especially if meeting him was considered a 'significant' moment. It'd be easier to zone in on the scenario where we find him.

"Good. I gave you an offer for a reason. I'm assuming your school went over the rules of your internship?" Endeavor asked and we nodded.

That seemed to be all he wanted to say because Endeavor returned to wherever else he was on the train and Shoto and I talked for a while, discussing our other classmates' internships, and steering clear of any conversation of Iida and the Hero Killer. Mina and Eijiro had organised a group message with our entire class in it so we could keep in touch over the next week because "I'm going to miss you all so much!" as Mina eloquently put it. Even Bakugo was a reluctant member of the conversation, however, it had been mostly silent since we left.

We eventually lapsed into companionable silence and Shoto decided to take a nap while I looked out the window, staring at the buildings that flew by and wondering how the next week would pan out.

* * *

The place we were staying was essentially a motel specially designed for heroes here on business and I examined the pamphlet we'd been given when we arrived curiously. The motel had an extensive training hall in one side of the motel, with another area reserved for conferences and then there was the normal motel set up.

Once we arrived at our rooms, Endeavor instructed us to change into our hero costumes and meet him in the training hall before he disappeared. Our room was essentially two motel rooms, connected by a door. I wasn't sure what was behind the one that Endeavor had disappeared into but I didn't particularly care. Mine and Shoto's section had a bathroom, a small table and matching twin beds against opposite walls.

I had a moment to consider whether this was strange for us to be sleeping in the same room like this before I pushed it out of my mind. _Who cares? At least I'm not sharing a room with Endeavor._

I grabbed my case holding my hero costume and took it into the bathroom to change. It was essentially the same, except for the few minor changes I'd made. The belt was bulkier with the items I'd added, and the visor was slightly thicker, however, if I pressed the new button on the side, it slid down into a gas mask that covered my entire face so that was pretty neat, I thought.

When I returned to the main room, Shoto had opened his case and was staring at it where it lay on his bed. I could tell from the distance that it was different, just as he'd said. The fabric was now a dark blue, and it looked like the material was different as well.

"Shoto?" I probed gently to get his attention and he glanced at me before turning to look at his costume again. I waited patiently until he eventually sighed and picked it up. He walked into the bathroom without a word and I decided to just leave it. He was probably still adjusting to his decision.

Once he returned in his new costume, we made our way down to the training hall and met Endeavor, who was standing in the middle of the large room, waiting for us. The hall was huge and had multiple layers with a large open space in the middle that expanded to the roof. I could see the first floor had rafters that attached to the ground floor as part of the training ground. The second floor had gym equipment and the third floor had a training circuit, including obstacles. I couldn't see what was above that.

On the walk over, I'd been relieved to note that my eyesight hadn't begun to deteriorate from all the use so far today, and my headache had disappeared for the moment, so I felt confident enough to use my Quirk in training, although I was hesitant to push the limits today.

Endeavor turned to us when we arrived and eyed us for a moment.

"Shoto, go train by yourself. I need to instruct Himori."

Shoto didn't move for a moment but I noticed his expression hardened slightly and the room cooled a bit. I looked at him and when he finally turned from staring at his father I gave him a hard look. I knew he knew what I meant.

 _This is going to be hard, but I asked for it, so just let it go._

Shoto nodded finally, before walking away and I turned back to face Endeavor. "Come!" He ordered as he walked towards the stairs leading up to the other floors and I followed.

* * *

Endeavor led me to the floor with the gym equipment and instructed me to start strength training reps. I nodded, slightly confused but walked over to one of the leg machines anyway.

Before I could begin though, he walked over and added an extra ten kilo weight to my machine and I blinked at him.

"You won't get anywhere if you don't continue to push yourself. Being quick and agile means nothing if you can't defeat your opponent." He informed me sternly and I looked away, thinking about what he was saying. "My Quirk didn't give me my size, that was training. Strength is important, as is endurance."

I nodded and began my reps. It was tough, and it only took a short time for my legs to start aching, but Endeavor was watching my every movement so I didn't back down. I ignored my straining muscles and continued. Although I knew I would feel this later, Endeavor had made sure to not add enough extra weight that I could actually injure myself.

Once I was finished, I went to switch machines but Endeavor blocked my path.

"Again. You need more than that with skinny limbs like yours." He scowled at me and I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something. But I'd chosen to intern with him for a reason, so I had to do as he said. I ignored my trembling legs and began again.

When I was finally allowed to move on from that machine, the training didn't stop. Endeavor didn't give me a break before he handed me some weights, once again, more than I was used to using, and told me to double my reps.

It was a bit of a reality check for me. I'd always thought I was pushing myself a lot to improve over the last few years, but this was something even further. We continued making our way around the room for almost an hour, and Endeavor spoke to me during that time.

"Your fight with the Bakugo boy. Tell me why you lost?" He instructed as he switched out the weights I'd chosen for heavier ones and I tried to get my legs to stop shaking. I looked up at him in surprise but he just watched me sternly. "List the reasons." He repeated and I frowned.

This was a fun exercise.

"His Quirk helps keep me at a distance so I couldn't get close. His instincts are so strong my Quirk doesn't work well against him. As the fight… drew on… he became more powerful from his sweat… while I grew weaker." My answers were starting to come in fragments as I strained through my exercises and Endeavor watched me, expressionless as I continued. "He's physically… stronger than me… and… he's so driven to win… nothing could stop him."

Endeavor nodded in agreement. "And yet, near the end, you had the upper hand for a moment. Why was that?"

I frowned as I remembered it and switched the arm that I was using for my weights. "He… he wants to win… always… but he didn't want to actively hurt me…" I responded slowly and Endeavor grinned.

"Good. You found a weakness, and you exploited it. Since your physical abilities are so lacking, it's something you need to focus on." I ignored the subtle jab as he continued. "Tell me, what's Bakugo's Quirk weakness?"

I frowned in contemplation, it was difficult to think, but I didn't want to leave Endeavor waiting. I wondered if this was what it was like when he trained with Shoto. But I had a feeling that this was a lot more polite and patient than he was with Shoto since I wasn't as important as his son. It was kind of sad to think about.

"I think… he has a limit… to how large his explosions are… before he… gets injured." I panted and the Flame Hero nodded at me.

"Good. Everyone has a weakness, when you come across an opponent stronger than you, you need to find it. You think I haven't faced foes stronger than me in some way?" I shook my head and he grunted. "You need to look at the situation logically. Their strengths and weaknesses, your strengths and weaknesses. Tell me, why did you lose the upper hand in your fight with Bakugo?"

I sighed, recalling him using his explosions to loosen my leg from around his arm. "I loosened my grip when he hurt me, and he got free."

"You're afraid of pain." Endeavor stated and I nodded. Everyone was afraid of pain, it was irrational to not be. In a lot of cases, fear was what kept you alive. "You need to learn to manage pain. You lost a fight because you couldn't handle thirty seconds of pain. You're weak. If you're going to be a hero, you need to be tougher than that."

That wasn't the only reason I lost the fight, but I didn't mention it. I also wasn't entirely sure if I agreed with Endeavor's methodology, but for the moment I didn't question it. I wanted to see where it went.

Endeavor asked me to continue to list the strengths and weaknesses of peoples Quirks, particularly the ones he'd seen in the sports carnival and I found it helped. Everyone had some form of a weakness no doubt. And he was right, even the top heroes had to exploit them. I recalled All Might when he defeated Nomu at USJ. He'd found his weakness in his shock absorption and exploited it. Even the number one hero needed to find a different way sometimes.

After an hour had passed, Endeavor walked back down to the ground floor and I followed him on shaky legs. I could see Shoto on the far side of the room and he seemed to be setting up some targets to use.

Endeavor turned to me once we were in the centre of the room and announced what we'd be working on next.

"As I told you, strength is important, along with endurance. You need to learn to continue, despite the pain, until you find an opening."

"Like I did during the sports carnival?"

"No, you weren't successful then. That was you, dragging out the fight with no plan in place. You need to develop a plan, and then stick it out until you can execute that plan."

I wasn't sure I agreed with him, but I didn't say anything. Suddenly the fire that often-wreathed Endeavor's face, grew tenfold and I watched him warily. I could feel the heat from where I stood.

"Your goal is to get one hit on me." He informed me, and he looked like he didn't expect me to succeed. _I_ didn't expect me to succeed, he was covered in hot flames. "Starting now."

Endeavor sent a fireball at me and I felt my eyes widen before I dodged out of the way, cursing. _Shit_. He'd given no warning. I was glad the training hall was impervious to most Quirk types as he sent another wall of flame at me, which I dodged. The heat was making me sweat and I focused in on what I was doing.

I had to land a hit on him, but how the hell could I manage that?

"Resilience! You think I got where I am just by the grace of my Quirk? I trained!" Endeavor announced, his expression fierce.

He was right, I had to be resilient. And the first step of that was to find his weakness. But what was it? He sent another fireball at me and I felt the heat of it as it passed me.

 _Heat_. Endeavor overheated when he used his Quirk too much.

I wasn't completely sure that that was it, but it made sense. Shoto's Quirk worked the same when he only used one side. It was probably why his father had chosen Shoto's mother. Her ice Quirk would counteract his fire one's weakness.

So, all I needed to do was get Endeavor to overheat somehow. But how? He was a pro-hero with a lot of training. His endurance level before he reached that was probably very high. If I wanted to get him to overheat I'd have to make sure he kept using his Quirk and wait it ou-…. Oh. Now I understood.

Endeavor seemed to realise that I'd figured out his game plan, and he seemed almost pleased. Pleased, not proud. I don't think he was ever proud of anyone. You weren't proud of your 'property'.

If I wanted to land a hit on Endeavor, I needed to force him to continue to use his flames until he stopped for a moment to recharge. Endurance and resilience.

He continued to shoot fireballs at me and I continued to dodge them, keeping an eye on the future to see if a gap would open that I could use. But the fight didn't stop and I began to grow tired, my muscles already fatigued from the strength workout earlier.

Eventually I slipped up. Endeavor sent another fireball at me and I didn't react fast enough to get out of the way before it blew passed me.

The fire licked at my arm and I cried out at the brief pain.

I heard a crash behind me and turned instinctively to see Shoto on the far side of the room. He had his back to us but I could see he was shooting ice at targets rapidly and aggressively. Tension lined his shoulders and I hoped he wasn't focusing on my fight with Endeavor.

Before I could contemplate it though, Endeavor shot flames at me again and I dodged out of the way, sliding across the gym floor. This wasn't going how I'd hoped. I surveyed my arm to find that, thankfully, it was a bit red but didn't seem burned. Endeavor's fire wasn't too hot at the moment, and I wasn't sure if that was to stop me from getting hurt or to conserve his energy.

"Don't allow yourself to be distracted!" Endeavor sneered at me. He glanced in the direction of Shoto knowingly before he turned back to me with a scowl. "Heroes don't need distractions. I didn't organise your betrothal so you and Shoto could distract each other."

I returned his scowl full force this time as anger raced through my system. _God, he's an awful person._ Was that how he'd viewed Shoto's mother? Treating her kindly was an unnecessary distraction? I dodged the next pillar of flame that he shot at me and finally found my opportunity. I charged him.

Endeavor's flame wasn't hot enough to damage me at the moment. Which meant I could take risks. I avoided another wall of fire, closing in on him.

When I was only a couple of metres away from him, however, his fire reared back to life, searing my face and I was blasted backwards across the gym floor. I groaned when I slid to a stop, a fair distance from him, trying to catch my breath back.

The sound of ice cracking behind us increased in tempo as I stood up, staring at Endeavor. "Again." He ordered me and I dodged another column of fire he shot at me.

* * *

When we finally returned from training with Endeavor that night, I was exhausted.

After Endeavor had finished with me, he'd told me to go work on whatever training I normally did and tomorrow, in between our search for the Hero Killer, he would teach me ways to attack quickly and get the drop on the enemy. He also mentioned we'd discuss ways to manipulate my Quirk's uses to benefit a particular environment.

 _"Throwing fireballs is not the only thing my Quirk is useful for. People who don't expand the use of their Quirks are foolish. As you learn, you will find new ways to use it, such as finding the Hero Killer."_

Since I was so exhausted, I'd decided to do some simple balance and flexibility exercises while he taught Shoto how to use his fire side properly. We'd stayed, doing that for two more hours, before finally getting food and by the time we made it back to our rooms, I was wiped.

Shoto seemed to be in a better state then me, but he still seemed tired and drained and we didn't talk much as we readied for bed, except for when I asked him if he had been listening to Endeavor train me.

Shoto nodded from his position on the edge of his bed. He'd just returned from his shower and his red and white hair hung damp around his face. He was looking down at his hands, clasped in between his knees and I frowned at him.

"It sucked, and I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow. But he actually really helped me." I told him gently. I was worried that seeing Endeavor train me brought back bad memories for him.

Shoto nodded, but didn't look at me, still watching his hands. I wasn't sure if he was going to speak until his quiet voice filled the room.

"I knew he'd be able to help you with your training. But he's not a kind teacher. I don't like watching it."

I swallowed, understanding his point, but I needed him to understand that it wasn't going to stop. "No, he's not a kind teacher. But he's effective and it's helped me. I'm sorry you don't like it, but I won't stop. I want this."

"I wouldn't stop you." He said in response, finally looking at me. He seemed pretty calm. "I just don't like seeing it. I'm used to experiencing it… other people aren't."

I sighed, before sitting down next to him on the edge of the bed. We sat in silence for the moment, but I was glad that Shoto wasn't resentful that I was training with Endeavor. He'd just never not been the one who was experiencing the harsh training.

"When did he start training you?" I asked quietly.

"My Quirk appeared when I was three. He started training me then, but it didn't start properly until the day I turned five. I didn't handle it well, he pushed so hard. And when he pushed too far, my mother would try to stop him. It never ended nicely."

My heart ached in my chest as I looked at him, he seemed to have accepted it more, but it still wasn't a nice thing. I slowly reached over and rested my hand on where Shoto's were twisted in his lap.

He stiffened for a moment, before his hands untangled slightly, and he actually took hold of my hand with his, tangling our fingers together. I felt my heart stutter in my chest at the gesture but I ignored it as we sat in silence for a while.

Eventually, we both separated and prepared for bed.

When we were finally in our beds and the lights were off, I thought about the long day we'd had, and just how much had happened. Shoto had spent those two hours after I'd finished with Endeavor blasting his flames around the room, and I assumed it was tough for him to adjust.

"How did you feel using your fire side at training?" I asked him and there was silence from his side of the room.

I tilted my head so I could see him and he looked like he was asleep. But I'd learned not to trust Shoto sleeping.

"You're pretending to be asleep so you don't have to talk to me, right?" I asked instead. It wouldn't surprise me. After all, Shoto probably just wasn't in the mood to talk about using his fire after the day we'd had.

It was still silent for a moment before he finally responded. "…No?" Shoto answered quietly and he sounded the tiniest bit guilty. I smirked.

"You know, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. You can just say so." I informed him and I heard him huff.

"It's not that. It's just… different. I don't know what to think yet." He replied and he seemed distant. I nodded in the dark, even though he couldn't see it.

"That's fine. It's your Quirk. But if you want to discuss it, I'm here." I told him and I heard him hum in reply.

We lapsed into silence as sleep pulled at both of us. But I couldn't help but be hyperaware of the distance between us. I'd never slept in the same room as a boy before. It was a stupid thing to focus on but my mind had been in overdrive all day, and apparently it wasn't stopping now.

"Is this weird?"

"Only if you let it be." He replied dryly and I could hear the amusement in his voice, combined with the tiredness that suggested he was about to fall asleep. I was glad the darkness of the room covered my blush from sight.

"Right… sorry. Alright, goodnight then."

Shoto hummed before returning the sentiment, and I went to sleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

 **Ah, I absolutely love writing these two, it brings me such joy, hence the fact that I DO write about them.**

 **Also Nakatomi Enterprises is definitely a Die Hard Reference and I do not apologise. But I don't own Die Hard, I just love it.**

 **Sorry if this didn't have as much 'canon' elements as you wanted, but we'll definitely be covering it over the next two chapters! Until then, I hope you enjoyed! :D**

 **Reviews:**

 **Title Unwanted – Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy the changes in their dynamic! :)**

 **curlystruggle – Thank you! I enjoy it as well! I'm trying to develop it as a first love style thing, which generally does start very innocent, but we'll see how it progresses as time goes on. :D Yeah, I wanted her to be in Hosu because I have big plans in relation to it, which you will see soon!**

 **Love Remedy – Thank you! It's a very subtle change at the moment, so nobody has really picked up on it, but we'll see how that continues. It'll be interesting how they handle things from now on but I feel that they're quite rational for their age and as you said, they're training to become superheroes so their life isn't expected to be simple and easy from the get go. You'll have to see! :D Tbh, I actually have two outlines for what I'm doing with that which I haven't decided between yet. We'll just see what makes more sense as it progresses. :)**

 **Animefairy299 – OMG! They're so cool! Thank you so much! :D**

 **Atlantean-Child – Thank you! :)**

 **Shanty – You asked and I have delivered!**

 **antisocialFox – Thank you! No Hero Killer yet, but I hope you enjoyed the lead up!**

 **Haruka-chan1994 – OMG thank you! :D I hope you enjoy!**

 **ShiyaWinds – Thank you! :D**

 **Jtrek.013 – haha! I know the feeling! I hope you enjoyed the update :)**


	20. Attack on Hosu City

**So season 3 has aired and even though there's nothing really from the manga yet, I am one happy individual! :D (SO EXCITING GUYS AHH!)**

 **Really struggled for days with how I wanted to do the second half of this chapter before eventually writing it out of order and filling the blanks so hopefully you guys don't mind it. I'm not entirely happy with it, but it's the best I'll get I feel.**

 **Also, I'm sorry if you don't agree with how I portray Endeavor. However, it's prominent in the manga and the anime that he's got a bad personality, BUT he's a very successful hero. He was the number 2 hero by the time he turned 20 years old, so any flaw in his character are generally not related to being a hero, except for occasionally being overconfident. He's an asshole, but he's a good hero. :)**

 **Also guys! Check out the fanart animefairy299 has done for Mirai! :D It's at yukio-yui-chan. deviantart **(without the spaces)****

 **Also, wow! 100 reviews! You guys are awesome! :D**

* * *

 _Hosu City was on fire. People screamed and I saw a winged monster crash into a building. Pro-heroes fought to rescue people from a blazing fire while another monster attacked them from the side and I heard one of them cry out in fear. I could see it's face illuminated in the fire._ Nomu _._

I woke up with a shout, the visions flashing through my head as I bolted upright in bed.

There was movement to the side of the room and suddenly someone was approaching me. I yelled again in surprise, throwing my pillow at the figure but they dodged it and grabbed me by the shoulders. I tried to twist out of their grip, my heart pounding before I heard them calling my name in a familiar voice. I finally shook myself from the dream enough to notice the face in front of me, messy white and red hair illuminated by the sun rising outside the window.

Shoto.

 _Shit_. I'd completely forgotten I wasn't alone in my bedroom at home, but on my internship. A blush took over my clammy face as he looked down at me and I could see the concern on his face. The visions still swirled through my mind as we looked at each other and I tried to calm my breathing.

"Are you alright?" He asked me as he released my shoulders and I nodded grimly. Yeah, I was, but other things were not so okay.

The door leading to Endeavor's room opened suddenly and we both turned to look at it. I noticed Shoto put his body slightly between me and the door as he faced the man. Based on his appearance, Endeavor had been awake already, so I was glad he wasn't here to complain about the noise waking him.

"What's wrong with you?" He reprimanded and I fought off another blush. Now wasn't the time to feel guilty about my visions, who cared if I woke a few people up. I could tell from looking at him that Shoto had definitely been asleep until I started shouting.

The visions were still chaotic in my head, but I could understand enough to be certain in my conviction as I met Endeavor's eyes.

"There's going to be an attack on Hosu City tonight." I told him and he didn't react at first, but I saw Shoto turn his attention away from his father to look at me at that.

After a moment, Endeavor spoke. "You're sure this isn't just a childish nightmare?" He asked me sceptically and I shook my head furiously.

"No. This is real." The vision of the monster that looked like Nomu resurfaced in my head and I supressed a shudder. "I've made mistakes like that before, I know this was a vision. It's happening tonight."

Endeavor stared at me in silence for a few seconds and I didn't break eye contact, meeting his gaze evenly. Eventually he nodded and I breathed out a silent sigh of relief.

"Fine. I'll make some calls, and then we can discuss this further. Before that, you two need to go for a run. The normal. I shouldn't have let you sleep as long as I did." He scoffed at us. " _Laziness_."

I blinked at him in surprise. _He called barely dawn a sleep in?_ I wondered how much the man himself slept. Shoto and I nodded and he left the room, calling out to meet him back in the lobby in an hour.

Once he was gone, Shoto turned to me and raised his eyebrow. He looked tired, but he seemed to be handling it fine and I assumed that this was why he easily took naps throughout the day. I sighed and just shook my head at him, not sure what to say. He seemed pretty calm about the fact that I'd just announced that the city was going to be attacked tonight.

"They look like that Nomu creature from USJ." I explained to him as I slowly stood up from my bed, my mind was still sifting through what I'd seen. "But there was more than one, and the pro-heroes couldn't fight them off."

His face shifted into a small frown before he turned away to start getting ready for the day. "My father seems to trust your word, after we come back, you can fill him in on any other details and they'll work it out." He said and I nodded in agreement, biting my lip.

* * *

Apparently the fourth floor of the training hall was just a running track, but rather than using that, Shoto and I decided to head outside to run instead as the early morning light began to shine through the city. Shoto informed me that 'the normal', was five kilometres, which wasn't the worst, but my muscles ached from the previous day as we stretched beforehand. Thankfully, the morning run actually seemed to help.

When we returned, we went to one of the café's housed inside the motel for breakfast and I yawned tiredly as we ordered our food, before finding a table. We had another half an hour before we had to meet Endeavor.

As we sat down, I noticed Shoto did indeed look quite worn out as well and I grimaced.

"Sorry for waking you this morning." I apologised guiltily and he looked up at me.

"It's fine," he paused for a moment, like he was considering saying something, before he spoke again. "You're a very restless sleeper. You were moving and talking a lot last night."

I felt another blush take over my face and I resisted the urge to groan in embarrassment. "Yeah," I sighed, "it's one of the side effects of my Quirk. I don't sleep well, sorry. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's not."

Shoto's eyebrows furrowed at that. "I don't mind. I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't also having trouble sleeping, I was just curious. I didn't realise your Quirk had that effect."

I nodded. "It's pretty common for mental Quirks. I remember after the attack at USJ, the Quirk specialist told me there were a few common side effects for those like me. Insomnia is one, along with paranoia and some other mental health conditions. It's like people with physical Quirks feeling drained and tearing muscles and such. Ochaco and Aoyama for example, both get nauseous. Others get fatigue or temperature changes like you. Unfortunately, we just get it more frequently because you can't turn your mind off." I informed him and he listened to me explain it all.

I wished our classes tested us on our knowledge of Quirks rather than things like history and geography, perhaps then I'd have a better time.

"Shinso has both insomnia and paranoia." I commented mildly, staring off into space as I thought about it. "I remember on a trip in middle school, our classmates complained about both of us being disruptive at night. But it's just a side effect we can't help. I think Aizawa-sensei probably also has insomnia, based on his appearance."

Shoto hummed at that and I could feel him watching me. "Paranoia is something that doesn't surprise me. I've met you, after all."

I blinked at him in horror for a moment. "Do you think I have paranoia? _Am I paranoid?_ "

Shoto's mouth actually spread into a grin that I'd never seen before as he looked at me. "If you're asking questions like that, perhaps that's your answer." He answered me and I blanched. Shoto shook his head at me though and he almost seemed fond. "No. I don't think you have paranoia."

I felt my face flush at the fact that he'd obviously been joking when he remarked on it. I wasn't used to his dry sense of humour yet.

"I didn't know that Shinso used his Quirk on you during the second round." Shoto commented as our food arrived and I eyed it hungrily. All this training was giving me a ravenous appetite. "I didn't even see you in the second round after you said no to joining my team."

I frowned at that, pulling my attention away from the food to look at him. "Yeah. He came up to me straight after you left and then I don't remember anything after that." Shoto eyebrows furrowed again as he settled in with his food. "If I'm honest though, I think I prefer the brainwashing outcome to if we'd been on the same team anyway."

Shoto paused with his breakfast half way to his mouth as he looked at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If we'd worked together I don't think it would have gone well." I told him and he frowned in contemplation. "Think about it, who would actually be more effective on the side, me or Denki? And who would be better as a rider out of me and you?"

Shoto paused, contemplating it for a moment as I dug into my food eagerly. "I see your point. Your Quirk would work better if you were making decisions, but I didn't trust anyone else to be the rider."

"Yeah, I know," I sighed. "Hence, my decision to not be a part of your team. We would have worked well though if I was the rider. But I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to work as a team at some point." I told him and Shoto hummed in acknowledgement.

* * *

Once we'd finished breakfast, we met Endeavor in the lobby. He was still making phone calls, however, he paused when we arrived to discuss what I'd seen.

"I won't inform the media of an attack based on the dreams of a child. But I've contacted some other heroes nearby who owe me favours. This better be a real threat." He warned me and I nodded determinedly.

"It is. I don't know why I'm so certain it's tonight but I know it is. Not long after dusk, but I can get a better idea of specifics later. There are at least two monsters and they look like the 'Nomu' that attacked us at USJ."

"The League of Villains, huh." Endeavor commented with a sneer, "I don't know why they'd target Hosu City, but we'll soon find out."

We spent the next hour in one of the conference rooms with Endeavor asking me questions about the attack and me searching forward to find details. I felt relieved to note that the damage to the city decreased slightly in my visions the longer I talked. It appeared that he would indeed be contacting heroes to help. Shoto sat quietly to the side the entire time and I was surprised Endeavor hadn't ordered him to go train or something.

When we finished we returned to the lobby and Endeavor told us to go train in the facility while he continued to organise things. I felt excitement pulse through me for the first time that day when he told us he wanted us to spar together, Quirks allowed. We'd never versed each other before.

"Tsk." The Flame Hero scoffed, looking out over the lobby with a brooding expression. "Our hunt for the Hero Killer will have to wait. This takes priority." He all but growled before he walked off without another word. Shoto and I exchanged looks but it seemed that we were done for now and I assumed that Endeavor would retrieve us when he next wanted to see us.

His comment reminded me of our own concerns and I frowned. Iida. I pulled out my phone to message him and Shoto looked at me questioningly.

"Iida." Was all I said in explanation and he nodded, pulling out his own phone.

"He'll suspect something if we both message him at the same time. However, perhaps that's a good thing because he knows we're serious." Shoto spoke and I hummed in agreement.

Once we'd messaged him I decided not to linger on the thought anymore and my mind strayed elsewhere. A reminder popped back into my head I grinned manically at Shoto. He watched me with a wary expression.

"This is it. The battle of men, well, the battle of man and woman. The final decider." I announced dramatically and Shoto just stared at me blankly.

I huffed out a breath at his look.

"We get to see which one of us will win a fight." I told him and his eyes lit up in understanding.

"I see. Although, we won't be pushing it as far as the sports carnival, so it won't be as informative."

"Yeah, true. But I can't exactly hurt you anyway. The most I can do is probably give you a concussion and a few bruises. You're the one who could barbeque me."

Shoto frowned at that and I could tell he was opposed to the idea. I laughed lightly, before leading the way to the training hall and Shoto followed.

* * *

When we arrived in the training hall, Shoto and I faced each other on the ground floor and I grinned at him again. His lips twitched in return and I could tell he was also interested to see how this fight would go.

I wasn't sure if I could actually win, Shoto's Quirk was a lot more powerful than mine. But I was still excited to see how I held up against him.

I could see a few people on the upper levels, probably doing their own training, but I ignored them as I looked at Shoto.

"So, Quirks allowed? No serious bodily harm?" I asked him and he nodded, his eyes had narrowed as he looked at me and I could tell he was focusing now. I brought my Quirk to the forefront of my focus as I bounced on my feet for a moment to psych myself up. "Alright, let's go."

Without waiting, Shoto sent a pillar of ice at me, but since I could see his attack coming, I dodged to the side before he'd even finished. I ran at him, leaping across the shallow ice wall to change trajectories and Shoto followed me with his eyes, twisting around, before sending another ice attack.

He was limiting his attacks in size slightly, which was a bit unfortunate for us testing each other, but it made sense. He couldn't exactly turn the training centre into a tomb of ice.

I dodged another attack of his and used the opportunity to get even closer to him but when I was within a few metres of him he sent out a wave of fire that I leapt back from. Now that he was using both sides of his Quirk, he was twice as strong.

My training with Endeavor yesterday came back to mind and I paused, studying my opponent as I tried to figure out a battle plan. I had no idea what Shoto's Quirk weakness was now that he was using both sides. The only obvious one I could think of was he was still unsure about using his fire, but I wasn't going to press on _that_ for a simple spar like this.

Shoto sent another pillar of ice at me and I dodged it. The floor between us was covered in large blocks of it now.

From observing Shoto over the last few months, I'd found that his preferred tactic was generally to avoid close combat out of practicality. His Quirk helped him keep people at a distance and also immobilise them, so my best bet was definitely to get in close to him. And soon, since he no longer had to deal with overusing his ice as much.

The fight continued as I tried to figure out a game plan and I frowned to myself. This was where I needed to improve. I wasn't thinking fast enough and Shoto was definitely leading the fight. I noticed suddenly that we'd attracted an audience. A few people were leaning over the railings on the upper levels to look down at us but I ignored it.

I stumbled, slipping on the floor as I dodged another one of his attacks and blinked down in surprise to find water was slowly sliding down the ice blocks that Shoto had left around us. The idea hit me as I glanced up at him and noticed his left side was covered in fire as he stopped himself from growing too cold.

I ran at him, however, this time I ran directly next to one of the leftover pillars of ice and used it as cover to get closer to Shoto. He saw my plan and sent a column of fire towards me and I ducked out of the way. I noticed the steam rising in thick clouds from the ice as his fire evaporated the condensed water and I grinned.

Shoto didn't pick up on my plan though, and I repeated it again with another ice column, watching the steam rise. Eventually, the room began to grow thick with it and I grinned as Shoto stopped his attack, finally noticing my plan.

"Shit." I heard him curse quietly and I laughed aloud as I ran to the side, further away from Shoto. I took a running leap and pulled myself up onto the rafters that were just above where Shoto and I were fighting, further obscuring myself in the foggy air.

The sound of ice shooting across the floor reached me and I realised I'd done it just in time as Shoto froze the ground around him in a wide circle, obviously hoping that it would stick me to the ground. "Too slow," I taunted him and I heard him huff in frustration.

I could barely see the beams around me through the thick steam but I didn't need to. I used my Quirk to guide me through the beams quickly until I stood above where Shoto stood. The ice that he'd used to try and capture me was cooling the air and the steam was starting to disappear, but it didn't matter anymore, I was where I needed to be.

I leapt down, aiming for Shoto's back, feet first, and I saw him turn and notice me, but it was too late for him to react as I kicked him squarely in the back and he went skidding across the floor with a grunt. I winced, perhaps I'd put a bit too much force behind it, but I didn't let it bother me.

I ran towards him, treading carefully across the ice and reached him just as he was about to pull himself to his feet, but I didn't give him the time to as I knelt over him, pinning his legs to the ground with mine and trying to get a hold of his arms to keep him immobile.

He twisted out of my reach and swung at me with his arm. I dodged out of the way, rebutting him with a kick aimed at his side as we both leapt up. Shoto took the hit but his hand reached out to grab my arm and I bent out of his reach, but not before his fingers brushed me and a small amount of ice encased my upper arm. I ignored it though as I swept my foot across the floor and Shoto barely avoided getting wiped out.

The fight continued, with me dodging out of the reach of any of Shoto's attacks and getting in a fair few hits, but eventually, I gave him too much time to recover and it was game over.

Shoto sent ice shooting across the ground with his foot and it crept up my body, encasing me up to my shoulders.

I winced. _Shit_. I tried to ignore the biting cold as Shoto and I stood across from each other, panting as we stared at one another.

He got me.

Cheering echoed through the silence and I blinked in surprise, before looking up to see the people who I'd seen watching us applauding. More people had joined them since I last noticed and I flushed.

"Impressive!"

"Great Quirk control!"

"That technique, obscuring yourself in the steam!"

"You U.A. students really are 'Plus Ultra!'"

I felt my flush grow deeper as I smiled up at them shyly and called out my thanks. I wasn't sure how they knew we were on internships from U.A., but I didn't think on it long. The ice that surrounded me was beginning to make me tremor with cold. Shoto ignored the crowd, unfazed as he approached me and rested his hand on my side. Steam began to rise as he melted the ice and I sighed in relief at the slight warmth I could feel.

Our audience of pro-heroes disappeared, probably returning to their own training, and I grinned up at Shoto, happy with the fight despite my loss, as the ice encasing me disappeared entirely. However, it didn't stop the shivers wracking my body from the left over cold.

Shoto frowned, before returning his hand to my side and heat began to radiate through my clothes. I observed him for a moment.

"You better not set fire to my hero costume or I'm going to be pissed." I told him and he huffed.

"I can control my Quirk." He retorted and we stood there until I finally felt warm and stepped away from him. We both turned to survey the mess of ice and water around us.

"Not bad." I commented and Shoto nodded in agreement, before leaning down and placing his hand on the ground. Steam began to rise once again as he melted the ice and evaporated some of the remaining water.

"You used my contrasting Quirks against me." He said as we watched the steam slowly disappear.

"Yeah, not a bad idea right? I remembered at the sports carnival that none of us could see who won between you and Midoriya because there was so much steam from your fight." I told him and he nodded. "I'm just glad that you didn't explode the room like you did against Midoriya."

"Yeah. I made sure to avoid that this time. I didn't think the motel staff would be impressed if I ruined their training facility. Although they'd probably ban my father from coming back."

"Small positives." I commented and Shoto's lips twitched as I walked over to grab a drink. He followed me over, still watching me. "I almost had you there though."

Shoto hummed in agreement. "You're ruthless with your kicks." He said and I grinned.

"It's all I've got. Not all of us can have overwhelmingly powerful physical Quirks." I argued and he didn't respond. Probably because it was true. I could become a good hero, but I'd never reach Shoto's level when he could fill an entire stadium with ice and start a raging inferno. "So, what now?" I asked him and Shoto shrugged.

Endeavor probably wouldn't be back for a while, so we needed to continue doing something until then. "We could spar without Quirks? Apparently, I need to keep working on that." Shoto suggested and I nodded in agreement.

"Sounds fine to me. Pin for three seconds?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

When we sparred without our Quirks, I found that Shoto and I were fairly evenly matched, despite his comments.

I got the upper hand a lot, because of how fast and agile I was. I could dart behind him and pin his arms to his side with my legs like I'd done with Bakugo, or I could sweep his legs out from under him before he realised and pin him to the ground. But when Shoto managed to actually get a hold on me, there was often nothing I could do.

"How are you so heavy?" I panted as Shoto pinned me down with his hands holding my arms and his knees pressed into my legs. His weight didn't hurt, but it was unmovable.

"I'm not heavy. You're just tiny." He responded, also breathing heavily from the exertion and I scowled at him. It was true, but I wasn't going to admit that right now.

When he got off me, I responded by swiping his legs out from under him and putting him in a head lock and he scowled, leaping to his feet with me still clinging to his back.

"You're like a fucking monkey." He growled in annoyance, trying to remove my arms from around him and I grinned, unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up in me.

* * *

We finally called it quits an hour later, worn out and bruised from our fighting. However, since Endeavor had yet to return we decided we probably needed to continue training and made our way up to the third floor that housed a training circuit similar to the one we used during Basic Hero Training at UA.

Shoto and I raced each other around the track, leaping over obstacles and threading ourselves through openings. I had hoped that I would win out at this because of my smaller frame. But Shoto was always right beside me.

It made sense, since he'd been training for over ten years and he was physically stronger than me. But it still frustrated me.

Eventually Endeavor turned up, but he didn't stay long. He merely told us to go eat and meet him in a specific conference room at 2pm. Apparently, he'd organised a meeting with some of the heroes available and he wanted us there. I ignored the churning in my gut as I wondered if he was going to expect me to explain what I'd seen to them.

Shoto and I returned to the room and took showers, before we left the motel, looking for somewhere to buy lunch.

We finally found a sushi restaurant that looked good a few blocks away and walked in. It felt nice. We'd only been on the internship for barely 24 hours but I already felt like I needed the small break. Of course, it didn't feel like much of a break.

I checked my phone as we sat down for what felt like the eighth time that day and still found no response from Iida. When I looked up at Shoto, his minute change in expression told me that he also hadn't heard anything.

I sighed. I wasn't sure what to think about it. I was still worried about Iida. He obviously wasn't thinking clearly and was shutting people out. But I wasn't sure what we could do to help in this situation.

I considered the decision we'd made to not inform anyone about our concerns, but I still didn't regret it for some reason. I couldn't ruin Iida's future like that. No. We'd find another way to contact him.

"Maybe if you messaged Midoriya and asked if he'd heard from him? Midoriya's his closest friend at U.A. He might be able to get through to him." I told Shoto and he considered it for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." He replied as he took out his phone again and I took a deep breath as I thought about it. Unfortunately, Iida would have to wait until tomorrow. We had bigger concerns for the moment and my mind drifted to the attack.

I'd given Endeavor all the details I could find about it. There were three of them. They were focused between Akuyaku and Kogeki street. They looked strong and the League of Villains would bring them through with the villain who had a warp Quirk. I understood why he didn't plan on warning the police or media. If my visions were wrong, there'd be uproar the next day because of the panic. Endeavor was smart, having earned his title as the number 2 hero. He was just also a major asshole.

I zoned out for a while, searching through visions again to see if I could find any new details. My head was starting to ache but I paid it no mind. I'd avoid using visions later in the afternoon. The last thing I wanted was to look like a fool in a meeting full of pro-heroes because I didn't know what I was talking about, so this was the focus for now.

A plate being placed in front of me brought me out of my thoughts. I glanced down to see that apparently in the time that I'd zoned out, Shoto had left and ordered food, and that food had now arrived.

I flushed in embarrassment. _Shit_. I hadn't realised I'd zoned out for so long. "Sorry. You could have just interrupted." I told him and he gave a small shrug.

"I didn't mind." He replied before he dug into his food.

He'd gotten me Tamagoyaki and I grinned in delight as I settled in with my meal. It'd been a while since I'd had it. My mother thought my preferred sushi choice was ridiculous and I rarely had sushi during the time that I'd been living by myself. I assumed Shoto remembered me mentioning it at some point or another. Probably one of the afternoons that'd I'd droned on about the poor quality of food at my middle school.

I scarfed down my food in a surprisingly short time, once again probably due to all the training. When I looked up at Shoto though, I found he was still completely absorbed in his food, paying no mind to anything around him. It always amused me that he could just channel his thoughts into deciding what he deemed important at the time and what was irrelevant. I thought back on his focus when we'd been training that morning.

Us sparring together had been the most fun I'd had in a while, which was interesting to say since we'd been throwing punches and kicks at each other. I'd enjoyed training with him, despite the fact that it annoyed me that he had a physical advantage over me, both from his Quirk and his strength.

My mind briefly flashed back to when he pinned me down in one easy move and I felt a warmth rise on my cheeks.

"Shoto." I said quietly to catch his attention. He glanced up from his food with mild interest on his face, obviously wondering what I wanted. "What are we doing?" I asked, my voice coming out like a sigh.

Shoto paused, his mouth full of food as he straightened in his chair slightly. It was plain as day that he was confused by my question as he slowly swallowed his food.

"Eating?"

I resisted the temptation to laugh. "No. I mean… what are we doing with us? We're in this… blurry area where I don't know what we are. We're still technically engaged, although that doesn't really mean much since it has no power over either of us. I just… wanted to know."

I bit my lip nervously and my hand fluttered towards my hair before I stopped it. If Shoto could read my nervous ticks, he'd know how nervous I was. It was stupid to be that worried, but to me it felt like an important question. I knew I cared for Shoto and I knew he cared for me. But we hadn't discussed it. I thought it was romantic on both our parts, considering how much he'd begun to open up to me. But my doubts were still there.

Shoto had paused when I spoke and I could tell he was thinking about what I'd said. He looked confused for a moment before he opened his mouth to reply. But before he could say anything though, his phone vibrated and we both glanced at it. I already knew it was probably Midoriya, and apparently our conversation would have to wait. A small frown overtook Shoto's face as he checked it.

"Midoriya says he hasn't heard from him. But he's coming through Hosu tonight for his internship so he's going to message him." Shoto announced and his brow creased slightly as he looked at his phone. I sighed aloud in frustration again, and my train of thought switched entirely, once again consumed in thoughts of Iida and the Hero Killer. _Shit_. Why couldn't Iida just talk to us?

"Alright. We should probably head back now anyway. I don't feel like turning up to your father's meeting late." I had enough problems as it is.

Shoto was watching me with a complex expression on his face as I stood up from the table and I frowned at him. "What's up?"

He didn't answer for a moment, just continued to look at me before he decided that whatever he was going to say wasn't important. "Never mind," he said quietly as he also stood.

* * *

The walk back to the motel was mostly silent, since apparently Shoto and I were consumed in our own thoughts. There was so much on my mind I could hardly keep track. The attack on Hosu. Iida. Hero Killer. Endeavor's training. Shoto. I glanced at him and sighed. Now that I thought about it, he'd probably meant to continue that conversation we started. But unfortunately, we just had too many priorities. I made a silent promise that we'd talk about it soon though.

When we arrived, we went straight to the conference room that Endeavor had informed us the meeting would be. I felt the nerves build up as we got closer. I was potentially going to address a room full of pro-heroes about a dream I'd had. It sounded ridiculous when you said it like that, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I just had to be confident in my decision.

Shoto turned to look at me as we approached the door and he eyed my shoulder area significantly. I blinked, before realising he was looking at where my hand was twisting the end of my pigtail. I scowled. It was easier to get away with nervous habits like that when my hair was waist length.

I took a deep breath, vowing to keep my hands at my sides during the meeting and nodded at Shoto. We walked through the door and I noticed several pro-heroes look up at us.

A few of them I recognised, others not so much. Most of them were from other cities so I tended to not see them. I was pretty sure that a fair few of the others were sidekicks from Endeavor Hero Agency.

"What're the kids doing here, Endeavor?" A voice asked and I turned to see a large man eyeing Shoto and I distrustfully. Apparently, Endeavor hadn't filled them in on us.

"They're on internships from U.A. This is my son, Shoto. He's going to be the number one hero in a few years. He needs the experience to learn what's involved in being a hero." Endeavor announced boldly and Shoto's face remained impassive as he eyed the room, ignoring his fathers words. Most people seemed unsurprised by Endeavor's announcement, and I was pretty sure that the news that he was Endeavor's son was unsurprising as well. They'd probably all watched the sports festival. Some of them probably even sent offers to Shoto.

"And the girl?" Another voice asked and it was a young man with scales rising up his arms and onto his neck. He was looking at me like he also recognised me from the sports carnival. I frowned. _I have a name._

"This is Himori. Her Quirk saw the attack coming. She'll be coming tonight to inform us of any changes. She also needs the hero experience, especially since she'll be a Todoroki one day."

I winced at Endeavor's blasé reference to me and Shoto stiffened beside me, but neither of us commented. No one in the room seemed to care that much though anyway, with other priorities, they were eyeing me curiously.

"You have a foresight Quirk, right? I watched you during the sports carnival." A woman was watching me as she spoke. "What did you see about tonight?"

Her serious tone apparently brought everyone out of their previous thoughts of Shoto or me and back onto the focus of the meeting. I glanced at Endeavor and he appeared to be waiting impatiently for me to talk. I took a deep breath, before filling in the room with what I'd seen.

"How can you be sure it's tonight? And that this isn't just a goose chase?" Someone asked and I shook my head.

"I'm certain. The visions I see when I sleep are usually the most accurate. And I've been looking into it all day since. They're going to appear near Akuyaku and Kogeki Street around dusk. They're dangerously strong. They also have multiple Quirks, based on what happened at USJ." I met the man's eyes evenly as I spoke, glad that my confidence in my knowledge was making me confident in presenting it.

"All Might took one of these down at the USJ attack, didn't he?" The woman's question was rhetorical as she pondered it and she was eyeing me curiously. "That's a strong Quirk you have, young lady." She told me and I flushed.

"Thanks."

"Enough." Endeavor ordered and everyone turned to look at him. It was clear he had the authority in this meeting by the way he presented himself, and also how the other heroes reacted to him. No doubt this was how most group hero efforts went, with the higher up heroes taking charge entirely. "Let's discuss this."

The meeting only went on for half an hour, and aside from receiving minor questions, Shoto and I stood in a corner silently. It was actually good experience to see how their planning went, and I was pretty happy with what I'd learned since I began my internship yesterday. I'd been worried I would regret my decision to go with Endeavor, but so far that wasn't the case. He had no qualms about involving us in more 'sensitive' areas like other heroes would have, since he was hellbent on at least giving Shoto an edge in the hero field.

"Good." Endeavor concluded as pro-heroes began to rise from their chairs. "We'll leave most of the local heroes to their normal patrols, but converge together where the attack should be. Meet at the location shortly before sunset."

He left the room without another word and we followed. He didn't speak until we arrived in the lobby.

"We'll skip any other training for today, since there's no reason to tire you before we go out tonight. I expect you both to be ready for this. So, go do whatever and meet me back here at 5. We'll patrol the area and remove civilians without causing a panic. You'll need to both listen to instructions tonight. It's time you learned how to be a hero." Endeavor left and I stared after him for a moment. He looked like he was exhausted, which was strange to imagine. But I supposed that even pro-heroes get worn out.

Shoto and I looked at each other and I grinned. "So, three hours to pass. What's the plan?" I asked him and Shoto turned towards the elevator without a word. I followed him, and before he even opened his mouth, I knew what he was going to say.

"I'm taking a nap."

* * *

Shoto and I returned to the room and blissfully passed out on our beds for a few hours, which was quite a relief as I wasn't sure when we'd get sleep tonight. For the first time, I felt excitement course through me. We were definitely doing hero work tonight. Granted, we weren't allowed to actually be involved, and it was mostly going to be dangerous for us, since we couldn't use our Quirks to protect ourselves, but it was still exciting.

I had a brief moment of questioning the logic of Endeavor's decision to bring us both with him, but I knew he wouldn't reconsider. It made a fair amount of sense for me, since I was the one who could predict if the plans changed, but bringing Shoto was entirely driven by him wanting to expose his son to hero work from the beginning of his hero journey. Shoto didn't seem to mind that though, probably fine with experiencing it as well.

When we woke, we got ready mostly in silence before making our way down to the lobby. Endeavor was once again on the phone when we arrived and he scowled at our appearance before hanging up.

"Let's go." Was all he said before he marched out the door. Shoto and I followed.

This was the first time we'd been out in public in our hero costumes and I was fascinated by some of the looks we received from people passing by us, a strange feeling of pride rising in me. I wondered if Endeavor was going to talk about the basics of heroes patrolling but he didn't, he probably thought it was irrelevant child's play. So, we walked in silence until we arrived at the destination.

I glanced around at the familiar buildings surrounding me, uncomfortably familiar from my visions. I recognised a particular shop across the road that had been ablaze and tried to tell myself that that wouldn't happen tonight. We could stop it. Most of the pro-heroes were already there, waiting for us. People were still bustling around us on the streets, however, as they took notice of the group of pro-heroes it was clear they realised something was going on.

"E-Endeavor! The number two hero!"

"B-but, why are you here?"

Some of the crowd stared at Endeavor in awe but he paid them no attention. "Hero business. It'd be safest for civilians to clear the area so we can work in peace." He answered them and they nodded their heads furiously in agreement. Thankfully they didn't immediately start panicking.

I heard them mutter about the 'Hero Killer', probably assuming we were here for that, but nobody said anything. The crowd began to dwindle, until there were no civilians in the area and the street felt quiet. Endeavor had instructed a separate group of heroes to spread out around this area in case my prediction was off and the Nomu's didn't come here.

I glanced around at the sudden eerie silence and could see the pro-heroes were tense, waiting for action. It felt strange as the sun set over the horizon and the day darkened further into night. Endeavor had gathered a group of heroes together, and here they were, based on me and my Quirk. It was hard to think that I'd been able to make such a difference, but it gave me hope for what my future as a hero would look like.

"Squad B will converge once we know where they are. Once we've contained them to this area, Squad A will split up to take care of two of them. I will look after the third." The Flame Hero informed me and Shoto from where he stood beside us.

"All Might barely defeated one of these when we were at USJ." I spoke up again in warning and Endeavor snorted.

"We don't need All Might. _I_ will be enough."

I didn't say anything to that as Endeavor walked off to join a group of heroes, giving them instructions. The listened to him easily, having no problem with him taking charge. Perhaps he was right. After all, Endeavor had the most solved cases out of any pro-hero, including All Might. And All Might had been weakened at USJ. I sincerely hoped they could handle it.

A shrill wail broke the silence and everyone stopped, turning to stare up at a rooftop near us. I could make out the shape of one of the Nomu's standing on the edge. The winged Nomu was flying just above it and I could see the third across the street, looking like it was about to take off and start causing havoc.

"Get their attention!" Endeavor called to one of the heroes and he held out a hand, forming a fireball before throwing it at one of the Nomu's. I was worried that it would make it leave, however, it seemed to only make it angry as it lunged off the nearby rooftop towards us.

Another hero suddenly shot bright light up in the air and it was like a beacon as the other Nomu's screeched before also rushing at us. This was it. Shoto grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side while he watched the scene evenly. He seemed calm, but I could tell he was just as tense as me. After all, we'd seen what the Nomu at USJ had done, especially to Aizawa.

One of the Nomu's crashed into the ground near us, cracking the concrete and Shoto and I jumped back further as it screeched at the pro-heroes gathered. I noticed the other two Nomu's also arrive, before immediately being surrounded by pro-heroes ready for a fight.

One of the pro-heroes used their Quirk to spray a liquid at one of the monsters and I watched as it solidified around it, growing hard like concrete. The Nomu gave off a shriek, before it flexed and its prison was blasted away like it was nothing. The heroes took a step back in shock.

"My Quirk! It broke through it like it was nothing!"

"They're so strong!"

I heard shouts, and turned to see the heroes that had been guarding further outwards were appearing now, joining the fray. Sirens began to echo through the city. I'm guessing someone called in that there was an active villain attack now that it had been confirmed.

The winged Nomu was circling the air around us before it swooped down to attack. There was the clinking of metal and I noticed several chains shoot up from another pro-hero and wrap around the Nomu. It gave off an awful noise as it tried to remove the chains, but they grew thicker in size, wrapping further around his body and the pro-hero began to try and reel it in with the help of two other pro's with some kind of strength Quirks gripping the chains.

Another group of heroes had the last one surrounded as they attacked it on all sides, but it was obvious it wasn't doing any damage. Any damage to it immediately disappeared and I recognised it as the same Quirk the one at USJ had.

"It keeps regenerating!" One of the heroes called out. "What do we do?"

"He's too strong! Damn it!"

Another one rushed at him. "Let's all attack him at once!"

The heroes surrounding it lunged and the Nomu rose its fists into the air, before smashing them down. I watched as the heroes were blown away and a cloud of dust rose in the air. Debris sprayed outwards and Shoto and I ducked down against the concrete to avoid the wave of wind.

"Damn it, I can't see!" One of the heroes called out.

"Where is he?"

"Run away!" Another voice shouted in panic and I turned, noticing the hero who had called out. Wait a minute. _Wasn't that Manuel? The one Iida was interning with?_ He must have been out on patrol and heard the commotion. _But where was Iida?_ I started to scan the surrounding area but stopped when a loud 'slam!' echoed through the street.

Endeavor, who'd been helping to restrain one of the other Nomu's had punched it, moments before it took out a hero.

The Nomu went sliding backwards, giving a shriek of rage as his injuries healed in an instant.

"Regeneration, huh?" Endeavor commented as the Nomu started to charge at him. "Then, how about this?" Endeavor ran at it as well, moving much quicker than I thought possible for a man his size, before he slammed his hands against the Nomu's head. His hands started to burn brightly, enveloped with fire, which was visibly growing hotter and I heard the Nomu shriek as Endeavor torched its head.

Shoto and I watched, open-mouthed as Endeavor took down one of the Nomu's in an instant. One that an entire group of pro's hadn't been able to stop.

The Nomu collapsed to the ground, it's head smoking and Endeavor grinned down at it. "Carbonized cells cannot regenerate." He announced before he turned and returned to ordering the other heroes around.

So that's what he meant. Always finding another way to deal with an impossible situation. In this case, research. I had no idea that that was possible. Shoto and I exchanged looks before his face settled into an impassive mask, and he turned back to look at the scene in front of us.

We stayed rooted to the spot as we watched. We'd seen All Might battle against the Nomu at USJ, and that was a lot, yet here were three more. Two, since Endeavor had already taken one out like it was nothing, which was still a shock.

"Hey! What's that? Up on that water tower?" One of the heroes called and I turned to look. I could see it. Two shady figures perched on top of a water tower not far from where we stood. I didn't have to check with my Quirk to know who they were. I recognised it from my vision. Despite the distance, I could just make out the main villain from USJ watching us as he scratched his neck. He looked frustrated and I resisted the urge to grin. Their attack wasn't going how they wanted. Good.

"It's the League of Villains! They're the ones who brought the Nomu's!" I called out in answer as Shoto and I both dodged to the side when one of the pro-heroes came running past us. We were standing against a wall, out of the main battle area. The sidekick from Endeavor Hero Agency who Endeavor had charged with keeping an eye on us stood a few metres away, watching the fighting. I surveyed the scene around us. They had restrained one of the Nomu's, who was screeching in rage. I noticed that the group of heroes with the winged Nomu were still struggling to bring it down to the ground as it resisted them. So far, miraculously, nothing had been significantly damaged except the concrete in the street.

The pro-heroes who heard me turned to look as well and I could see the surprise on their faces. Suddenly one of them let out a cry of rage. I turned, recognising him as one who had spoken up in the meeting earlier. "They came here to bask in the destruction? They were wrong! They won't get away! We'll catch them!" He started running towards the building and I blanched when I saw a few more pro-heroes following.

"No! Wait! You can't-" I cut myself off in frustration. It was a useless endeavour. They wouldn't listen to me. I understood wanting to apprehend the masterminds, but by the time they reached them, the villain with the warp Quirk would make sure they were long gone.

It only took that tiny distraction. Just the notice of the villains watching us from the water tower for all hell to break loose.

The wingless Nomu shrieked, breaking free from its holders in their distraction. Pro-heroes were thrown back as it rose up, still screeching, before it jumped, using its strength to shoot off into the sky. I noticed a lone pro-hero had managed to grab a hold of it and was trying to bring it down in mid-air.

There was the crack of a chain breaking, before the winged Nomu also escaped its capturers. Two pro's rushed at it before it threw them back and they went crashing into the building behind us. Rubble rained down and Shoto and I ducked out of the way as Endeavor's sidekick pulled us aside. I really hoped those heroes had Quirks that stopped them from getting hurt just then.

The winged Nomu took to the skies and I heard Endeavor curse. The whole fight had started barely three minutes ago and now there were two Nomu's loose in the city.

"All the heroes in Squad B!" He ordered, pointing in the direction of the winged Nomu. "Follow it and take it down. Squad A, work on evacuating any more civilians! I will be sufficient to take care of the other one. Shoto! Himori! Follow me!"

With that Endeavor took off running in the direction of the monster and with only a split-seconds hesitation, Shoto and I followed. We ran down the block, listening for the screeching noise of the Nomu.

"Himori! Where did it go?!" Endeavor called out as we ran and I focused in on the monster.

"The train track, downtown, but he's moving again!" I shouted and Endeavor picked up the pace as Shoto and I ran after him.

The Nomu was fast. He'd managed to travel a fair distance in that short time since he'd escaped and as we approached, he changed trajectories again. I scowled in annoyance.

"If we go straight to Tsunehisa Street, we'll meet it! There's a pro-hero there!" I called out and Endeavor took the next street turn towards Tsunehisa Street. The noise of the Nomu had faded, but I could still hear sirens whining and a couple of screams from civilians. Nobody was injured though, just scared as they all rushed into buildings around us to hide. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate and I noticed Shoto's movement change slightly as he apparently also received a text. We exchanged looks. A group text at a time like this?

Shoto slowed to a stop, pulling out his phone to read the message. And I paused next to him. If this was Mina or Denki messaging to complain about their internships or something I was going to be pissed.

Shoto frowned at his screen, before turning his phone to me so I could look. "It's just Midoriya's location." He told me in confusion. Ekou Street, that was just down the block. But here in Hosu? Wait, _why was he in Hosu_?

I heard Endeavor beginning to scold Shoto for checking his phone, but I wasn't listening as I tried to zone in on Midoriya's future. It helped that I knew exactly where he was.

The glint of a blade was all I needed before I was turning away from Endeavor and sprinting back down the street. I heard Shoto following me instantly and Endeavor called out after us.

"Where are you going, Shoto?! Himori! What are you doing?!"

"An alleyway at 4-2-10 Ekou Street." Shoto called back to his father as he ran just behind me. "If you finish dealing with the Nomus, or find any free pros, send them there. We're leaving you to take care of the trouble. I'm sure you'll be able to resolve it quickly."

There was no response from Endeavor after that but I didn't particularly care. I assumed by Shoto's orders that he'd also made the connection between Midoriya sending his location and trouble.

"What's wrong with him?" Shoto asked as we ran, and suddenly he was apace with me as we turned a corner.

"The found the Hero Killer." I told him bluntly, trying to push my legs faster.

"They?" Shoto asked after a small pause.

"Midoriya and Iida." I huffed out in turn as I sprinted down the street.

"Shit." He muttered. "I don't know where specifically we're goi-"

"I do." I cut him off as I ran. Icy fear was flowing through me and I tried to push it aside as I focused my Quirk in on finding Midoriya. I ran into a side alley. If we took this one, we'd get there quicker.

Our friends were facing a man who'd killed seventeen pro-heroes and injured dozens more. We needed to hurry.

* * *

 **So the way I view it is that heroes would have to be very careful when discussing the threat of villain attacks with the media. If you announced that there was going to be an attack, people would probably end up scared, and if that attack for some reason didn't happen, you'd be in a lot of trouble for fear-mongering. Hence the fact that they were hesitant about saying anything to the public until it was happening, just subtley removed people from the situation.**

 **Hopefully you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Alrightio! Next up: Hero Killer! (and other exciting developments :D)**

 **Reviews:**

 **kalmaegi: Haha, I know what you mean, but canon-wise he actually is useful, he's just a major asshole which is annoying. Yeah Iida :(**

 **Love Remedy: Haha! Yeah I really enjoy writing Hikari, I'm considering including her a bit more but I'm not sure where yet. Yeah Hikari's ended up being a huge Shoto/Mirai shipper which I love haha! I was going to have her hug Shoto but I feel like he's still a bit sensitive with his own mother issues, but we'll see what happens soon. I really enjoy writing the dynamic of how good Shoto and Mirai would be when they team up if they trust each other. I think it would work really well. Yeah, I considered whether to write that or not, but it isn't *too scandalous* so I was like, yeah, makes sense anyway since they're interning together. But I thought it was cute that Mirai was unsure about it and Shoto was kind of like 'I don't care, I just want to sleep'. Thank you! :D**

 **Title Unwanted: Thanks! Yeah that chapter was surprisingly big but I wanted everything in there so I was like 'yeah okay'. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you! :D**

 **Curlystruggle – Haha! Yeah, Hikari ships it :P I really enjoyed writing it so I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Tetsutetsutetsutetsu – Thanks! :D I appreciate that. And I agree, someone told me that there are a lot of parallels between Endeavor and Bakugo so it's interesting how the story (canon) has progressed. Yeha, they are cute. The way I see it, the engagement is a formality that neither of them care that much about anymore because it holds no power over them (both could end it if they wanted, it's just easier to leave it). No Hero Killer quite yet, but next chapter! And yes! Season 3 all the way!**

 **Rem – Thank you! I really appreciate that!**

 **Ceralyn – Haha, thank you! :) Yeah Shoto and Mirai teaming up is fun.**

 **Haruka-chan1994 – Thank you! That means a lot! I hope you enjoy it! :D**

 **animefairy299 – Thank you! :) I do plan on growing her hair out again, but it'll obviously take a while, so we'll see. Hmm… I hadn't really considered it, but maybe. It depends on how it fits in with the storyline I guess.**

 **MoxxieRusso – thank you! Here's more!**

 **Liltorgy – Haha! Feels! OMG thank you though! :D I appreciate it and I hope work turned out alright anyway!**

 **Guest – Thank you! I appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed this!**

 **SelenaM228 – Thank you! :D**

 **Mitsuyuki-Hime – I didn't even know that was a thing, but thank you anyway! :D I really appreciate that! Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! :)**


	21. The Hero Killer

**Hey guys!**

 **Sorry for the late upload! I've been busy, and this chapter was ridiculously hard to write for multiple reasons, which means it may not be my best work, but that's alright.**

 **Also, I'm a bad person who's started working on another fic (Bakugo/OC) that I'll be uploading the first chapter for soon (don't worry, this will take priority for the moment). So, if you're keen, definitely check that out once I've posted it!**

 **Anyway, this chapter is long, so I hope you guys enjoy it! :D**

* * *

 _One week before I was scheduled to start at U.A. High School, I found myself at the park again with Shoto._

 _School had finished a few weeks ago, and I'd spent my time since then visiting my mum, training, and finding ways to distract myself from the excitement of my upcoming first year._

 _Since neither of us had come from school, we were both in casual clothes and I found myself observing Shoto once again. I hadn't taken note of his normal clothes when I'd first met him – too preoccupied with everything else that was going on – but from what I'd discovered in the past three months, his attire didn't surprise me in the slightest._

 _Dark pants, plain green t-shirt and a dark jacket. Simple, comfortable, easy, and didn't stand out. Yep. Sounded like him._

 _I couldn't exactly talk though. My interest in fashion was pretty low, so all I wore was a similar combination of jeans and a sweater. I'd been tempted to just turn up in my exercise clothes, but there'd been a tiny part of my brain nagging me to make a small effort at least._

 _Shoto was napping and ignoring the world as per usual, while I lay on the ground beside him on my stomach, sketching in a notepad._

 _It wasn't something I did often, mainly because I wasn't actually very good at it, but I found it soothing sometimes, even if all I drew was just repeated patterns across the pages. I found myself unconsciously humming to myself as I drew a small stick figure girl, playing with a doll._

 _Like I'd said, I had very little artistic talent. But it was still nice to zone out._

 _I felt eyes on me as I drew and I looked up to see Shoto watching me, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at me. I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Was he annoyed? Was he confused? It was difficult to read him. My humming stopped though as we stared at each other._

 _"Sorry," I apologised easily, fiddling with the pencil in my hand. "Was the humming annoying you?" I asked with a smile and Shoto's brow furrowed further as he looked at me. He didn't look like he was going to answer, and the seconds drew on._

 _Eventually he shook his head in response, before he closed his eyes again and returned to his nap. I frowned at him, confused, but despite the fact that I wasn't bothering him, I decided to keep myself from humming again._

 _I'd barely returned to my drawing though, when I felt a vision pushing against my brain, prying its way through my barriers._

A man was running through the park and I saw two people that looked like pro-heroes were chasing him. He grabbed a bench from the pathway and wrenched it out of the ground. I heard the screech of metal before he threw it behind him at the heroes. Some kind of strength Quirk I assumed, quite common. He repeated it with another bench and a garbage can, before I saw him running in the direction of a small girl playing with her doll, oblivious to the danger behind her.

 _I came out of my vision and immediately began searching around. I recognised it as this park, it was almost a hundred metres away though. But when would it happen? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? That little girl, would she be alright?_

 _Shoto was oblivious beside me as I thought it over, however, when a shout of rage echoed from the other side of the park, his eyes shot open to look at me, before he scanned the park._

 _I could see it happening in real time now. The villain entered the park, and civilians started screaming, running from him as the pro-heroes chased him. I recognised one as Kamui Woods._

 _But this meant that if this was happening now._

 _That little girl._

 _I leapt to my feet and was about to start running towards the villain, hoping to search for the girl and stop her from getting hurt, but something grabbed my arm. I glanced behind me and found Shoto gripping my arm from where he'd leapt up off the ground and he was giving me an incredulous look._

 _"What are you doing?" He asked me harshly and I tugged on my arm for a moment, hoping he'd let go. I was still scanning for the girl as the villain made his way through the park. Where was she?_

 _"I need to- there's a girl-_ where is she _?" I finally spotted her just as I heard a woman cry out. Her mother, I assumed. She stood not far from her with another woman and she started to run to the girl, calling out her name. But she wasn't close enough to grab her._

 _The villain's eyes were locked on the girl and I wasn't sure if he intended to hurt her or use her as an opportunity to get away, but just before he reached her, wood surrounded him and suddenly he was encased in a ball of vine-like wood as Kamui Woods captured him._

 _I watched as the people in the park started celebrating and the woman picked her daughter up, hugging her tight. I felt a sigh of relief escape me. It was okay. Kamui Woods had stopped it. I watched the scene in front of me for a moment more before turning to look at Shoto._

 _He was looking at me with an unreadable expression, but I could tell he'd realised why I'd tried to run over. "What were you hoping to accomplish?" He asked me and I hesitated, not sure what to say. His voice was only slightly more gentle than the tone he'd used just before, but I knew he thought it was foolish of me to try and intervene._ I _knew it was foolish as well. I would probably have only caused more trouble. But when it was right in front of me, I couldn't just stand by._

 _I felt frustration bubble up inside me and I huffed out a breath. "Do you know what it's like? To see things happen… people getting hurt… and you can't do anything to stop it?"_

 _I hadn't thought I'd bring such a somber thought up with him, but I wanted him to understand I wasn't just some idiot, looking to be the day's hero. I always saw things. Accidents on the way home from school, villain attacks where people were hurt. But I could never stop it._

 _'_ You can't save everyone _.' My mother always said. But that was why I was trying to be a hero right? So I could save some of them? Intervene before other people were hurt? If I could save just a few of them, it'd be a start. I could make a difference._

 _Shoto was quiet for a moment, however, I felt his grip on my arm tighten significantly. When I looked at him, I saw his eyes looked hard and he was staring off into the distance of the park._

 _"Yes." He said quietly. For a moment, I was confused, before I realised he was responding to my earlier question. So, he'd also felt hopeless. Helpless to watch as something happened. I wondered what for a moment, before I realised that Shoto's grip had tightened further on my arm, and his hand was starting to radiate a cold that seeped into my bones._

 _"Shoto." I said, trying to draw his attention to his hand, however he didn't respond. I was pretty sure he didn't even know I was there. He was entirely absorbed in his thoughts, and his hand was growing steadily colder. "Shoto." I called slightly louder, but he still didn't respond._

 _I decided to take it into my own hands and grabbed his hand, trying to wrench it off my arm with my spare arm. The pressure on his hand finally brought him out of his daze, and he released my arm instantly, pulling back like I was poisonous. I felt the slight sting as the blood began circulating again before I looked up at him._

 _For just a split second, he looked upset, before his expression was hidden. "Sorry." He said quietly, before he turned away from me quickly and walked over to the tree._

 _I blinked in confusion as I watched him, slowly rubbing my arm. "Hey, it's fine." I told him, and I grinned at him. "Can't say I'll be needing an icepack though." I joked, attempting to lighten the mood. He ignored me however, still looking very tense._

 _I frowned when I realised he had picked up his bag and was pulling the strap over his shoulder. "We're still technically supposed to be here for another hour." I told him and Shoto didn't acknowledge me for a moment._

 _"With the villain attack, there's going to be police here taking witness accounts. I'd rather not get caught up in all that since we weren't close to it anyway." He told me and I couldn't exactly argue with him. I knew the likelihood of Shoto suggesting we go somewhere else for the next hour was very low so I just nodded, calling out goodbye as he walked away._

 _As I spoke, he half turned back towards me, before pausing and I watched him curiously. "I'll see you next week." He said finally before he left, hands deep in his pockets. I watched him leave with a frown. Today had definitely not felt like one of our more relaxed, almost companionable silence meetings._

 _He almost looked upset about something. I wondered if it had been a mistake to bring up my visions, but I let it go. It wasn't like it mattered anyway. From what it looked, Shoto wasn't likely to be a significant part of my life once high school was over, so I shouldn't let those thoughts bother me._

 _As I left the park, I thought about the fact that the next time I came here, I'd have just finished my first day at U.A. the days seemed to be dragging on as we approached, and I felt excitement bloom again._

 _I wondered what my first day would bring._

* * *

Shoto and I ran down an alleyway, side by side, and I allowed the visions to all but completely absorb me as we approached Midoriya and Iida's location. The pressure was building in my head so I brought it to the forefront, barely aware of my surroundings as we ran.

 _Midoriya ran at the Hero Killer, moving like lightning, and the Hero Killer swung at him. His blade narrowly missed Midoriya as he ducked under him._

How was Midoriya moving that quickly? Shoto and I turned into another alley as I continued to watch.

 _Midoriya leapt into the air and punched the man, before he landed again. Iida was on the ground near him, I couldn't see if he was injured though._

I knew we were almost there, just the next alleyway.

 _The Hero Killer licked his blade, and suddenly Midoriya was frozen, unable to move._

The Hero Killer's Quirk. It was _blood_ that activated it. _Shit_. Shoto and I rounded the corner and I could see the shapes of them at the far end of the alleyway. There was a fair distance between us, so nobody noticed our entry. But we both paused, surveying the scene. We needed to get Midoriya and Iida out of there. But how?

The Hero Killer stood over Midoriya, blade at hand and I felt my heart thumping rapidly against my ribcage. However, for some reason, he didn't hurt him. I examined the rest of the alleyway.

Iida was closer to us, laying on the ground and although he wasn't moving, I could see his chest rising and falling in harsh breaths. There was rubbish and dumpsters on either side of the alleyway around them and-

 _Shit._

There was another person there.

I could see him, collapsed against the alley wall and bleeding. He also wasn't moving but I could tell he was alive. A pro-hero, from what it looked like. I suspected he had been taken down by the Hero Killer before Iida found them.

It all took mere moments to observe the scene and I pulled out my bo staff from my belt, extending it as I stepped forwards. There were three injured, immobilised people in front of us, how did we intervene safely? _Think. Think_!

The Hero Killer turned away from Midoriya and began walking in our direction towards Iida and the pro-hero.

 _Shit. If he notices us, he might react before we could stop him_. He could kill one of them easily.

 _Well, looks like we're making an entrance._

"Shoto."

Shoto needed no further prompting, probably thinking along the same lines as me, before fire lit up his left side and he sent a column of flames towards the Hero Killer.

The Hero Killer leapt back with incredible reflexes and I watched him in surprise, before my gaze grew calculating. He was quick. Possibly quick enough that even if I could predict his moves, I couldn't physically react fast enough.

"You're lucky Mirai's with me, Midoriya. You need to send more information than a pinned location on your phone." Shoto called out as he stepped further forward and I canvased the area for a moment more, thinking.

I wished for a moment that we'd made Endeavor come with us, but I knew that could never have happened. The Hero Killer was a major threat, however, an overpowered Nomu loose in the city was more dangerous. I just hoped that Endeavor and the other heroes finished the two Nomu's quickly, I didn't want to risk checking if they had at that moment.

If they did, though, they wouldn't get here straight away. We needed to figure out a plan for how to deal with the Hero Killer. Shoto continued to talk as I thought and I ignored it, focusing in on the area.

All three of the people in front of us were immobilised from the Hero Killer's Quirk. At the moment, they were a hinderance and we needed to get them safe and out of the way. Perhaps if we exited the alleyway, we could find some pro-heroes who weren't in the middle of a fight. But given the circumstances, I didn't like the odds of that.

If Shoto distracted the Hero Killer with his Quirk, he'd be able to keep him at a safe distance. I could get the three of them to safety in the meantime, and perhaps we could then draw the Hero Killer out into the open for when the pro's arrived.

But I couldn't carry the three of them out of the alleyway. I didn't have the strength or means… but Shoto did. Which meant…

"We need to get them out of the way." I told Shoto and he nodded, eyeing the Hero Killer. "You can move them. I'll distract him."

Shoto's eyes widened before he turned to look at me, and I could tell he didn't like the plan.

 _I_ didn't like the plan. It was risky. My fighting style was close combat and this guy had a bunch of blades… not exactly a good scenario, but we had no choice.

Shoto seemed to realise that too because he nodded grimly, his attention turning to where Midoriya, Iida and the pro-hero were sprawled on the ground. "Be careful." He said quietly, before he shot ice in their direction. I wasn't entirely sure what his plan was, but it didn't matter. He could get them out of the danger zone, and I could keep the Hero Killer distracted.

The villain's eyes were settled on Shoto and I could tell he was about to interfere, before I started approaching him and his gaze turned to me. I walked towards him slowly, the longer I drew this out, the less fighting I'd have to do.

As I approached him, I hesitated for a moment, before reaching up and pressing one of the buttons on the side of my visor. The view from my visor blacked out and I allowed myself to focus in on my Quirk entirely. I couldn't see anything in the present. But I could focus entirely on the future, which was what I needed right then.

In my visions, I could see the Hero Killer level a sinister grin at me.

"Another child, playing hero." He said quietly and I tried to force myself to be brave as I smirked at him, holding my bo staff at the ready.

"I'm not playing hero. I'm just here to distract you." I told him and a sneer formed on his face.

He prepared to throw a dagger at me and I dodged to the side, just before the dagger whistled through the air near me. The Hero Killer's sneer grew slightly, before he leapt forward towards me, drawing another blade as he did.

I brought my bo staff up to meet him, thankful that it was built from such a sturdy material. His blade crashed into my bo staff and I twisted away from him and the sword, bringing up my bo staff to deflect another swing. He drew another dagger, lightning fast, but before he could do anything with it, I spun, smacking his hand away with the end of my bo staff and the dagger flew out of his hand.

We continued fighting like that and I felt my grim feeling only rising. His reflexes were so fast, even with the warning of his moves, I could barely react in time. I was constantly moving to block the next attack as I twisted and turned, spinning so fast I was almost dizzy, but the Hero Killer didn't seem to be tiring. I knew I couldn't keep this up forever, but I needed to keep him occupied until Shoto had put the others in a safer position.

One of his blades nicked my forehead and I winced. Before he could do anything with the blade though, I twisted, kicking out with my foot and it went flying out of his reach. I could tell he was frustrated now. Not only had he been interrupted multiple times in his attempt to kill the pro-hero, but now I was stopping him from paralysing me and helping his victim get away.

He brought out another knife and attempted to stab me, but I managed to disarm him again with my bo staff in a twisting move that I'd spent months practicing a couple of years ago. I didn't have time to enjoy the fact that it had actually worked though, before the Hero Killer attacked again and I dodged out of the way.

The Hero Killer leapt backwards in the air, throwing another dagger at me and I dodged it again. Straight away though, he was right back next to me and I blocked another swing with my bo staff. I tried to swing the staff around to knock out his legs, but before I could, the Hero Killer caught me off guard.

Rather than trying to injure me with one of his blades, he brought his elbow up, cracking it against the side of my face and I stumbled back. My visor was knocked off from the force and suddenly I could see both the future and the present.

I saw my visor skid across the ground away from me and abruptly, I heard the crackling of ice building before a wall separated the Hero Killer from me.

I took the moment to glance around me and noticed Shoto standing a few metres behind me watching the Hero Killer. He'd apparently returned from moving the others.

Glancing behind us further, I could see that Shoto had moved Midoriya, Iida and the pro-hero to the far side of the alley, not out of sight, but far from the Hero Killer's reach. I could tell he hadn't wanted to move them completely out of eyesight, and he'd also thought that moving them to the street right now was irrelevant unless we could take down the Hero Killer. All the pro-heroes were probably dealing with the Nomu attack and wouldn't be in this area.

"What's the plan?" I asked him as the Hero Killer sliced through the ice wall Shoto had built like a hot knife through butter. He seemed to have an infinite number of blades strapped to him so disarming him entirely during the fight didn't seem like a viable option. So far, I'd just been annoying him.

"Are the heroes coming? How long do we need to distract him?" He called out to me as he sent a column of fire at the Hero Killer, who once again leapt back to dodge.

I hesitated, considering the risk of looking into it, but Shoto seemed to have this covered for the moment, so I took the opportunity to check into the future, focusing on the two Nomu's.

 _Endeavor was currently facing off with one of them and another hero stood near him. I could see a large group of the pro-heroes from earlier in the evening had surrounded and captured the other Nomu. Other than a couple of damaged cars and a damaged building, the damage there seemed minimal as well. But they were too far away from us._

"To block your own view against an opponent faster than you… what a foolish plan." I heard the Hero Killer call out and I focused in on him for a moment. He'd cut through another ice wall that Shoto built like it was nothing and I saw him draw two daggers from a thigh holster. I could see his plan to throw them at Shoto.

 _Shit._

The daggers flew through the air, but suddenly, my bo staff was there, colliding with both of them and throwing them off course as they crashed into the ground to the side. Shoto turned to glance at me as I brought my bo staff back around, settling it behind my back as I eyed the Hero Killer who was still in the air.

"That's what I'm here for!" I called out boldly, sending the Hero Killer a grin as I braced myself for his next attempt at getting through us.

The Hero Killer swung at me again, and I blocked it with my bo staff, twisting out of the way and Shoto sent a stream of ice along the ground, trying to capture the Hero Killer. He leapt away before he could get him though.

Something green flew passed me and I heard a shout of 'Smash!' before the green shape collided with the Hero Killer, forcing him further backwards. The green shape landed next to me and I recognised it.

"Midoriya!"

"Midoriya! You can move?" I asked him in surprise and he nodded as he stood next to us.

"I don't know why, I can just move normally now!"

"A time limit?" Shoto queried as the Hero Killer stood from the crouch he'd landed in, watching us. He seemed surprised as well that Midoriya could move.

"But why can Midoriya move first?" I asked them and they both frowned.

"He takes in a person's blood to keep them from moving." Midoriya stated and I nodded. I'd figured that part out from the visions. "Since I got free first… I can think of three possible reasons."

Midoriya continued to speak, but I wasn't listening. If Midoriya was free, how long until the others were? Could we potentially escape the Hero Killer once everyone could move? I tried to search forward, checking to see how long Iida and the pro-hero were going to be affected for.

The visions of the future I was seeing were changing so rapidly, I could hardly get a grasp. The Hero Killer was thinking. Planning. I could see a vision of him jumping over us, trying to head down the alleyway towards Iida and the pro-hero becoming more frequent as Midoriya spoke and I took a step forward.

He couldn't get passed us.

"The pro-heroes have finished with the second Nomu. Someone needs to find a way to get their attention and bring them here." I told Shoto and Midoriya as I braced for the Hero Killer to attack. They were at least five minutes away, but they weren't even aware of the fight happening. Endeavor was the only person who knew where we were and I didn't know how long he would be. If we found a way to inform them, we could escape _and_ capture the Hero Killer.

The Hero Killer was eyeing me calculatingly, however, he didn't move. I could tell he was assessing the situation, realising he'd have to get passed me first. I heard someone step up beside me and I turned to see Midoriya.

"Himori, we can hold him off!" Midoriya spoke as he gave me a nod, looking determined. I nodded back, focusing in on the Hero Killer. I hoped Shoto was planning on finding a way to let the pro's know. My visions were still pressing against my head and I focused on them.

The Hero Killer jumped at us and Midoriya leapt out of the way. I dodged his attack, twisting my bo staff around to hit him in the head with all my force. He grunted in pain, looking dazed for a moment. It was the first decent hit I'd managed. But only moments later, he looked ready to attempt another attack.

That short opportunity was what we needed though, because Midoriya punched the Hero Killer hard in the face and he flew backwards again. This time he was slightly slower to get up, and for the first time since I entered the alleyway, I felt a touch of hope.

"Midoriya! You need to get more hits in, he's starting to tire!" I called out to him and the Hero Killer scowled. He drew another dagger and threw it towards me and I barely dodged it.

Midoriya seemed to have noticed him tiring as well and I could tell he was thinking.

I decided to change tactics slightly, hoping to catch the Hero Killer off guard, I ran straight at him. He saw me coming and brought around his blade, sweeping it across in front of him but I slid under it and hooked my bo staff around his knees. He jumped to avoid it, but was met with another punch as Midoriya threw himself at him.

If we could keep this up for a bit longer, we might be able to knock him out.

The alleyway was suddenly lit up by a bright light and I could almost feel the heat of it.

I turned to see Shoto standing on the far side of Iida and the pro-hero, shooting a huge column of flame into the sky. He was careful not to hit the buildings on either side but I understood his plan. Whether the pro-heroes thought it was Endeavor or another attack, they'd come.

I wasn't sure where Endeavor was now though. The last I'd seen of him, he'd been fighting the Nomu. Perhaps now, he-

"Himori!" Midoriya's voice shouted, and I turned abruptly, just in time to avoid the Hero Killer's blade again. The edge of it brushed the end of one of my pigtails, shaving a few hairs off and I couldn't stop the scowl that grew on my face.

 _Why couldn't people just leave my hair alone?_

The Hero Killer swung again and I dodged, bringing my bo staff around to swing at him, but he jumped over it. Avoiding me was making him sloppy though, and Midoriya managed to punch him again.

The alleyway lit up again as Shoto apparently sent up another column of fire but I ignored it, focusing on the Hero Killer.

He jumped at us again and Midoriya jumped out of the way as I brought my bo staff up to block it again. This time, however, the Hero Killer was ready and I froze as I realised his new plan. _Shit._

The blade he held in one hand cracked against my bo staff and I tried to twist out of the way but it was too late. With his other hand, he brought out another short knife and swiped it across my abdomen. I managed to avoid the brunt of it but I felt the heat of pain as his knife dragged across my hip bone.

Midoriya charged him again with a shout, but it was too late as the Hero Killer leapt back, knife still in hand. He grinned at us as he brought the blade up to his mouth and I could see the blood on the edge of it. My blood.

The Hero Killer dragged his tongue against the edge of the blade and suddenly it was like every joint in my body just froze up at the same time. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything. The only thing I had control over was my face as I felt myself tilt sideways, before collapsing on the ground of the alleyway.

"Mirai!" I heard Shoto shout out, and I could hear his footsteps running towards us. It felt like my stomach had dropped out of me. I couldn't move.

The Hero Killer got me.

Now I was the liability.

I felt frustration rise inside me. Because I hadn't been careful, I was now a hinderance to my friends. _How could I have let this happen?_

Suddenly a blur whipped passed me and something smashed into the Hero Killer, sending him flying backwards with a kick. _Iida_.

He'd gotten free.

The Hero Killer was climbing to his feet and I noticed he was beginning to look quite ragged. The fight was finally taking its toll on him.

"Himori, Midoriya, Todoroki, this has nothing to do with you three, and I apologise." Iida spoke with his head bowed.

"You're saying that again?" I heard Midoriya ask him, but Iida merely continued.

"That's why I can't allow you three to bleed more than this!"

"It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake." The Hero Killer jeered as his eyes narrowed in on Iida. "A person's essence does not change so easily. You will never be anything but a fake who prioritises his own selfish desires. You are a cancer to society that warps the idea of 'heroes'. Someone must set you straight."

Shoto was now standing near me, watching the Hero Killer carefully. "You're an anachronistic fundamentalist. Iida, don't listen to the logic of a murderer."

Iida responded and I noticed the Hero Killer was watching the exchange silently. I couldn't let him win. Even if I couldn't move or fight anymore, I refused to be completely useless.

I refused.

I searched forward, looking for a plan that might work to take out the Hero Killer. He was growing weak from his fights with me, Shoto, Midoriya and now Iida. His movements were growing sloppy. So, if they managed to get one good hit in. One combined hit. They could take him out.

Shoto sent a column of ice at the Hero Killer, this time with the intention of capturing him and he jumped upwards to avoid it. Midoriya took the opportunity to attack again and I noticed Iida enter the fray as well.

This was it. I could tell.

Iida kicked the Hero Killer again and I saw him fly upwards from the force, looking dazed.

"Hit him all at once!" I shouted out to them and I saw Shoto glance at me quickly, before his eyes turned to the Hero Killer. Midoriya punched him again and I heard Iida shout.

"Reciproburst!"

The force of the kick echoed through the alleyway and the Hero Killer was sent flying towards the ground from it, but I noticed he was still active. Shoto ran at him though and sent a column of fire at him, one he was too slow to dodge this time.

Shoto shot a wall of ice up and the Hero Killer crashed into it, landing roughly across it.

He didn't move again.

Shoto, Midoriya and Iida all stood braced to continue, but they paused when they realised the Hero Killer wasn't moving.

"He's unconscious." I called out to them softly and Midoriya looked at me, wide eyed. Shoto watched me for a moment before he glanced at Iida.

"Iida. Are you alright?" He asked him and Iida didn't respond, still staring at the Hero Killer's prone form.

The adrenaline and fear of the fight was beginning to wear off as I looked at the Hero Killer, and my thoughts immediately drifted to the cut on my hip. _Useless_. I'd come here to save my friend, and I'd ended up being the person who needed rescuing.

I could feel the emotions bubbling up inside me – frustration, disappointment, embarrassment – and I tried to push them down, but I couldn't. Here we were, after defeating the Hero Killer, and I'd been useless through the end of it. Taken out so I was nothing but a hinderance to the others, just like USJ.

Shoto and Midoriya continued to talk as I brooded, staring at the Hero Killer and eventually Shoto made his way over to me. He frowned at me as he approached, probably noticing my expression but I ignored it as he knelt down next to me.

I noticed his attention was focused on the cut on my forehead and he cupped my face, tilting it to the side to observe the cut. His brow furrow as he observed me before his eyes drifted down to the gash at my hipbone. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." I sighed, still frustrated. The cut on my hip was stinging slightly, but I ignored it and Shoto observed me for a moment, before nodding.

"How much longer will you be paralysed?"

I checked forward in my visions and tried to contain my annoyance. "At least 5 minutes. I'm not going to be able to move to the street." I told him and Shoto nodded, apparently unbothered by that information.

"Alright." Shoto's hand fell away from my face and suddenly he was lifting me gently from under my arms. Before I could complain about the manhandling, he set me back down again and I realised he'd just shifted me so that I was resting in a sitting position against the wall. I assumed he didn't want to leave me just lying on the ground until we left the alley.

"First class treatment, hey?" I asked wryly, trying to push past my dark feelings and I felt a smirk form on my face. Shoto merely hummed in acknowledgement, and I noticed he was watching me, a strange expression on his face.

Noises at the end of the alley drew his attention and I wished I could turn my head to look.

"My father's here." He told me and he stood up. I couldn't see Endeavor approaching, but now that Shoto was no longer blocking my view, I could see Midoriya removing the blades strapped to the Hero Killer's unconscious body. Iida stood next to him in utter silence, looking vacant.

I focused in on my visions instead and found Endeavor and the unknown hero from earlier were standing next to the pro-hero, who was beginning to move.

"Wha…? Why are you here?" A voice I didn't recognise spoke and I assumed it was the old man. Midoriya looked up in surprise from where he stood.

"Gran Torino! Gran Tori-!"

A boot was thrust against Midoriya's face and I blinked in surprise at the small, old man attached to the end of it. I hadn't seen him fighting, but he sure was sprightly for his appearance.

"I thought I told you to stay seated on the bullet train!" He shouted at Midoriya, looking extremely annoyed as he settled back on both his feet. You could practically see the steam rising from his ears.

"Who's that?" Shoto asked, watching the man and Midoriya swallowed nervously.

"The hero I'm interning with, Gran Torino. But why?"

"Endeavor said we were needed here. Well, I don't really know what's going on, but I'm glad you're okay." The hero – Gran Torino – replied.

"Gran Torino… I'm sorry." Midoriya apologised and the hero glared at him for a few more moments.

"Shoto. Himori." I heard Endeavor call as his heavy footsteps approached us. "Is it true?" He asked and I focused in on him in my visions. The pro-hero from earlier was just behind him, he was obviously injured, but he seemed to be alright since he was up and moving.

"The Hero Killer." Shoto told his father bluntly, gesturing to the unconscious body laying a few metres away from him. I would have given just about anything to see the look on Endeavor's face at that moment in person, but I settled for seeing the shock and surprise in my visions instead. I thought I saw a small smirk appear on Shoto's face before it was gone.

"You…" Endeavor started in surprise, before cutting himself off. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and I thought that Gran Torino was having a similar reaction. "Himori, are you injured?" He asked instead and I huffed out another aggravated sigh.

"I'm fine. I just can't move. The Hero Killer's Quirk paralysed me." Shoto looked like he was going to argue with that but another voice spoke up.

"You all saved me." I noticed it was the pro-hero looking at us all as he spoke. "Even after I told you to leave. You stayed and saved my life. Thank you. I'm Native, by the way."

"Fill me in." Endeavor ordered the hero, turning his attention away from his son and Native began to inform him, explaining that he'd been paralysed by the Hero Killer's Quirk, and that we'd saved him, before fighting the Hero Killer.

While the pro-hero briefly explained what had happened, or at least what he'd seen of the fight from the far side of the alley, Shoto and Gran Torino helped Midoriya remove the blades from the Hero Killer. I felt like we made a strange scene. Two teenage boys and an old man surrounding an unconscious villain, me on the ground, unable to move and Iida standing off to the side, looking like a lost child.

They'd only just finished removing his weapons when Native finished talking. Endeavor was dangerously quiet throughout the explanation and I wasn't sure if he was pleased the Hero Killer was captured, annoyed that he hadn't been involved or just worn out from the day.

"We need to get out to the street and contact the police. They're already out, taking care of the League of Villains attack and there should be other pro-heroes arriving now." Endeavor walked over to where the Hero Killer lay and picked up a length of rope that was near the top of the trash pile. He started securing the Hero Killer as Shoto and Midoriya moved over to stand by me, Midoriya began to ask me a question, but we both noticed Gran Torino approach Iida, asking about his injuries.

Iida shrugged him off though and turned to look at us.

"You three. You were injured because of me. I am truly sorry." Iida began speaking and I blinked at him in surprise. Iida began to tear up. "I couldn't… see anything… through my anger…"

My heart gave a twinge as I looked at him. He'd gone through a tough experience, and made some poor decisions, but it wasn't just his fault. Perhaps if someone had been there, if I'd noticed the signs earlier, we could have stopped this.

"I'm sorry, too." Midoriya apologised, looking downtrodden. "Even though you were feeling so cornered, I didn't notice at all. Even though we're friends…"

"You know, Iida." I spoke up, giving him a small smile. "If this didn't all happen tonight, Native might be dead and the Hero Killer would still be at large, so some good came of it."

I wasn't sure if my words would cheer him up, but I thought it was worth a shot anyway. Despite his less moral intentions to begin with, he'd been a hero tonight. That didn't mean we couldn't have found a simpler way to handle it though.

"By the way though, if you do this again, I'll kick your ass. I'm sick of interfering in my classmates' lives." I joked lamely and Midoriya glanced at me wide-eyed. Iida nodded, but his tears didn't stop.

"Pull yourself together." Shoto spoke up and I glanced at him, raising my eyebrows. "You're the class rep, right?"

Shoto's own attempt to lighten the mood surprised me. But apparently, the reminder of his duties got his attention though and Iida slowly straightened, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, before Endeavor stood up, throwing the Hero Killer over one of his broad shoulders.

"Let's move." He ordered the group and we nodded. I tried to lift my hand - but nothing - and I scowled at the ground.

Useless.

Shoto knelt down next to me and I felt his arms lift me under my knees and shoulders. Apparently, he'd decided it was easier to carry me bridal style than try and wrap my immobilised arms around his neck in a piggy back.

We started walking towards the street and I noticed Midoriya had walked over to the side of the alley, picking something off the ground. I couldn't see what it was, but he was looking at it with a strange expression, obviously thinking about something. Shoto called out to him and as he turned to follow us, I realised it was my visor.

Shoto started walking and I stared off into the distance, my mind still swarming with thoughts of the Hero Killer.

"You need to be less harsh on yourself." Shoto spoke quietly and my eyes shifted to look at him. He was watching me with a frown. I opened my mouth to argue but Shoto kept talking. "You're blaming yourself for getting paralysed. It wasn't your fault, you fought well and it could have happened to any of us."

I huffed out an annoyed sigh, turning my glare to look at him. "I'm not a damsel in distress, though."

"How are you a damsel in distress?" Shoto asked, looking confused.

"Shoto, you're _literally_ carrying me in your arms right now because I got paralysed. I screwed up and he got me. I became a hinderance."

"You weren't a hinderance." I could hear the frown in Shoto's voice as he spoke. "You bought us the time we needed, distracting the Hero Killer. And you saved me from being injured, and Midoriya."

I scowled at the passing alleyway walls in silence. Endeavor was carrying the Hero Killer like he was a sack of potatoes up ahead next to Gran Torino and I noticed Midoriya speaking with Native as Iida followed them slowly.

I could see where he was coming from. I had done some good tonight. And I knew that the Hero Killer was a formidable opponent. He'd killed so many people… but it was different, being there in the fight. And then failing when your friends needed you the most.

I could feel Shoto staring at me and when I turned to look at him, he had that strange expression on his face again. When I met his gaze though, he turned to look ahead and a slight frown formed on his face. "Your issue isn't being a hinderance," He murmured as he walked. "It's doing too much."

We continued the walk out to the street in silence, and when we arrived, I could hear a group of pro-heroes approaching. I wasn't sure if they were the ones who'd taken down the second Nomu, or if they'd been helping to clear up the damage, but they called out to Endeavor as they approached.

Endeavor put the Hero Killer down on the ground non- too gently and turned to meet the heroes. He immediately asked them if they'd dealt with the second Nomu and they nodded, before they began speaking. I didn't pay attention to what they were saying though, as my head started pounding. My eyes drifted over to the Hero Killer.

 _Did he just twitch?_

I wasn't sure if I'd imagined it. I could have. Even if he had though, he was secure in his bindings and surrounded by pro-heroes. There was nothing he could do-

 _The Hero Killer, removing another blade from his sleeve. He cut the bindings around him before moving to strike at Native who stood near him. Native had his back turned as he watched the approaching heroes._

 _Shit. How had we missed a blade?_ He must have hidden it away to use in this kind of situation.

I tried to open my mouth to call for attention but fear had swelled in my throat and I couldn't speak. I wasn't sure if he was trying to escape, or if he decided he might not get out of this alive, but the least he could do was go down fighting. I had no idea what his angle was but it didn't matter either way. I couldn't speak. _Why couldn't I speak?_

 _Come on, you can't let anyone else get hurt. What are you doing? Call out! Do something!_

 _Nothing but a hinderance._

My finger twitched.

It happened in an instant. The Hero Killer sliced through the rope holding him, before he leapt up and in one swinging motion, he brought his blade towards Native's head. Native started to turn, but it was too late, far too late.

But in that moment, I was faster.

My foot slammed into the Hero Killer's wrist as I spun around, out of Shoto's arms and kicked out at his arm. The blade went flying as everyone's attention was brought back to the Hero Killer's final play.

I heard the sound of metal hitting concrete a few metres away, however, my attention was immediately back on the Hero Killer as I realised my mistake.

Of course, if he had one blade hidden up his sleeve, it made sense for there to be a second one hidden.

The Hero Killer had just fought me. He'd already picked up on the weaknesses in my fighting. I was too unbalanced from my kick to recover in time to dodge and I watched as the Hero Killer moved like lightning, pulling out his other blade and thrusting it towards my neck.

Time seemed to slow as I heard the shout's behind me. People crying out as they realised that he was not only free again, but armed. I couldn't move, couldn't duck out of the way, still unbalanced on one foot as the Hero Killers blade arced towards my throat.

But then it stopped.

A choked breath left my lungs and I barely avoided stumbling as my balance returned to two feet. I stared at where the Hero Killer had his blade millimetres from my neck.

But he didn't do anything. He met my eyes for a moment, before sneering and his hand began to draw back towards him. "A child who risks her life repeatedly for someone she barely knows." His low voice spoke. He opened his mouth to continue, before I felt heat against my side as someone threw a fireball at the Hero Killer.

Endeavor.

The Hero Killer lunged back, barely avoiding the fireball and landing a few metres backwards as he watched us. His attention turned to the number two hero and his expression grew menacing. I could feel the hatred oozing off him.

"This society overgrown with fake heroes…" He spoke slowly as he stood from his crouch. Endeavor raised his hand, flame wreathing his arm, but he didn't move yet. "And the criminals who wave their power around idly… should all be purged!" The Hero Killer's voice had grown louder as he spoke, and his eyes settled on where Endeavor stood.

Endeavor took a step towards the Hero Killer, clearly ready for a fight and the man watched his approach with crazed, wrathful eyes.

"Endeavor." He rasped, his voice full of loathing. "You fake… I must make things right… someone must be dyed in blood. I must take back what it means to be a hero!"

With every sentence, the hero killer took a step towards us and I watched him, wide-eyed in shock and horror. You could feel the power of his convictions in every word he spoke. You could feel his passion and anger, it was like a visible aura. Everyone else seemed to be in a similar state of shock and I noticed in the corner of my eye that Endeavor was also watching him. As he took the next step forward, I unconsciously took one backwards, stumbling as I did, before I fell backwards onto the ground.

"Come! Try and get me, you fakes! The only one I'll let kill me is the true hero… All Might!"

Nobody said anything in response, too stunned to move. Even Endeavor had now frozen in his place watching him, and I stood, transfixed as the Hero Killer eyed him with loathing. I didn't even notice that something had changed until I heard the faint clink of metal hitting the ground.

The knife that the Hero Killer had been carrying, the knife that he'd held to my throat, before changing his mind, was on the ground at his feet. I watched in confusion, before my gaze moved to his face.

His face was blank. Vacant. He was unconscious, I realised, and I heard someone behind me echo the thought. It was like the strength of his conviction was the only thing that allowed him to continue to stand. It felt surreal.

Nobody moved for what felt like an age. Until eventually, Endeavor snapped out of it, striding forward to check the Hero Killer. It was like that broke the spell and suddenly the other pro-heroes were also moving.

I felt a hand grab my arm and I tore my eyes away from the scene to see who was holding it. Shoto. He looked just as shell shocked as I did, sitting on the ground, his face still pale and slack. But there was a fire in his eyes as he looked at me and I nodded to him, letting him know I was okay. I tried to ignore the ghost presence of the Hero Killer's blade at my throat.

His hand tightened on my arm for a fraction of a second, and he didn't let go of me as he turned to observe the heroes, who were quickly restraining the Hero Killer again. I could hear the wail of police sirens in the distance as they approached and then there were other heroes in my face, asking me if I was okay, complimenting me on my bravery, scolding me for my recklessness. I barely paid attention to them though.

Despite the fact that I'd just spent an entire fight versing the Hero Killer, something felt different about our interaction just then, and I wasn't sure what it was, but it felt significant.

 _He could have killed me._

* * *

Everything happened quickly after that. The Hero Killer was restrained again and double checked for any more weapons. The police arrived, ambulances were called, and soon enough, Shoto, Midoriya, Iida and I were at the hospital being treated.

I was taken to another room from the boys when we arrived and I frowned when I realised I'd be staying in a separate area to the others. It made sense that they'd separate patients based on gender, but I felt anxious to be away from them, especially after what we'd just experienced.

Shoto had seemed distracted since the final encounter with the Hero Killer, and I wasn't sure what was bothering him. I assumed it was just the shock of it all, but he'd barely acknowledged anyone, looking consumed in his thoughts on the way to the hospital.

A doctor treated my cuts and checked me for a concussion and shock, but I didn't pay much attention. I wanted to check that the others were alright.

As soon as I'd finished being treated, I checked the hallway for nurses, before making my way to the wing I'd seen the boys taken to.

When I arrived in the hallway outside the boy's room, I found that Shoto was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of their door. His arms were crossed and he had his eyes closed, like he was in deep thought, or perhaps this was the first opportunity that he'd had to think since it happened. I approached him slowly, stopping in front of him and he obviously heard my footsteps because he opened his eyes to look at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as we stared at each other. Shoto eyed me for a few moments, apparently unsurprised that I'd come to check on them. I assumed that he hadn't needed any treatment, but the hospital would probably make him stay just in case anything happened, especially after a traumatic event like that.

"I'm thinking." He responded finally and I felt his eyes scanning over my face. I nodded at his reply, I'd been going for something slightly more detailed than that, but considering the day we'd had, I decided to just ask him again.

"About?" I prompted and Shoto's brow creased as a slight frown fell over his face.

"Today. You."

I blinked in surprise. Why was he thinking about me in particular? Shoto was looking at me with that strange expression on his face again and I felt my heart speed up.

"What is it?" I asked him and after a moment, he replied slowly.

"You always find yourself in the most dangerous situations. It's like you see danger coming, and just force yourself into the middle of it, regardless of what it might mean to you." He told me and his eyes had drifted to stare into the distance above my head. "It's like you don't value your life as much as you do being a hero."

I frowned at that, contemplating my answer carefully. I didn't agree with what he was saying, but I understood where it was coming from. "It's not that I don't value my life, trust me, I do. It's that being a hero is something that's about more than me. You did the exact same thing today. We both risked our lives against the Hero Killer."

"Yeah. But for some reason, you always find yourself directly at the centre of it."

I shrugged and I eyed him carefully. "Probably, but I don't have the benefit of a Quirk like you that can keep me at a distance. And also…" I hesitated for a moment, before continuing, "sometimes I think it's better if I'm the one that's injured. I'd rather myself be the one that gets hurt than anybody else."

Shoto's eyes snapped down to look at me at that and I met his eyes evenly. We stared at each other for a moment in silence, before he finally spoke.

"I think I'd rather it be anyone but you." Shoto said in a quiet voice as he watched me. I felt my heart stutter in my chest, before it picked up double time. Shoto's emotions were hidden from his facial expression, but I could still see it in the depths of his mismatched eyes.

He was sincere about how much he cared for me.

Not giving myself the time to second guess my decision, I slowly cupped one of Shoto's cheeks with my hand and stood up on my tip toes. He stiffened slightly at the touch and I absently realised my fingertips were on the edge of his scar. I could feel the slightly rough skin under my hand and I hesitated, ready to take a step back.

He didn't pull away however, just watched me silently. He seemed perfectly calm. Our faces were inches apart and I closed my eyes before pressing my lips gently to his.

It was just a small, soft kiss. A barely there pressure on the lips that sent my heartrate skyrocketing, before I pressed in slightly more. I slid my other hand into one of Shoto's and was relieved when he intertwined our fingers, tightening his grip on it. Shoto's other hand moved to my hip where it gripped it tightly and I could feel the heat emanating from it.

I knew it was a short kiss, but the moment seemed to last forever, and when we pulled apart, we didn't go far. Shoto rested his forehead on mine gently as we stood in the quiet hallway, inches separating us.

I opened my eyes and found his were still closed, a small smile gracing the corner of his lips.

We stayed like that for a few more moments before Shoto opened his eyes and pulled away slightly. However, when his gaze met mine, his smile grew slightly bigger and I grinned back.

Our hands stayed entangled as we smiled at each other.

"That answers that question, I guess." I joked, my grin was huge as I looked at him and my chest felt light, despite the fact that it was thumping so loud I was surprised he couldn't hear it. Shoto huffed out a breath, looking over my shoulder and staring into space.

"You're a difficult person to avoid growing attached to, you know." He told me wryly and my grin shifted into a smirk.

"Who would've thought, right?" I joked in response, letting my hand slowly fall from his face, before I wrapped both my arms around him in a hug. I wondered if I'd surprised him, but Shoto's own arms folded easily around me and his chin came to rest on the top of my head as we stood there in silence. Despite the chaos of the last day and the thought of the Hero Killer rising in my mind, I'd never felt so at ease as I did in that moment with Shoto a warm barrier surrounding me.

He seemed to agree, because he was perfectly content to stay there with me as the minutes dragged on.

"I'll try to avoid unnecessary endangerment of life, but I'm trying to be a hero, which involves self-sacrifice, so no promises." I told him and Shoto's arms tightened slightly before he hummed in apparent agreement. I understood where he was coming from. Especially since Shoto was someone who thought everything through, before reacting. But it didn't come quite as easily to me.

I let out a quiet sigh, thinking about all that had happened tonight. The League of Villains and the Nomu's attacking the city. The Hero Killer, our fight, his haunting message at the end.

It felt like there'd been a significant change from tonight. In my relationship with Shoto, my relationship with my classmates and my confidence in becoming a pro-hero. There was also something else that had changed. It felt big, like it was looming over me, but I had no idea what it was. I didn't let it bother me though, I'd already dealt with enough for one day.

Eventually, Shoto and I pulled apart and when he looked down at me, he had a look in his eyes that seemed content. I couldn't stop the grin that grew on my face again as I looked at him.

"Did the doctors treat you?" Shoto asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah. They told me to be careful with exerting myself over the next few days because of the cut on my hip, but I'm fine to be discharged tomorrow. Are they making you stay tonight?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Just a precaution for mental trauma, and also my father will be busy for the rest of the night. I doubt he wants to see either of us right now."

I nodded in response as I thought about that, before I turned to look at the door. I was curious to see how Midoriya and Iida were doing and Shoto apparently noticed my look because he walked towards the door.

"Midoriya and Iida finished getting treated, but they'll be running more tests on them tomorrow." Shoto told me and he opened the door, gesturing for me to follow him in.

"Himori!" I heard Midoriya call out and I noticed him seated on the edge of a bed just to my right. I smiled at him, glad to see he looked alright. While we were waiting to go to the hospital, he'd mentioned that he'd injured his arm from punching the Hero Killer and his leg as well. I noticed they were bandaged, but thankfully, he hadn't broken anything like he had during USJ.

"Himori! You're okay! I'm glad your injuries weren't severe!" Iida said from across the room and he bowed to me. I watched him for a moment. His left shoulder was bandaged pretty heavily and I assumed it was an injury he received before we'd shown up.

"You know, you can call me Mirai, guys." I told them with a smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

Midoriya blushed, and I could immediately tell that he preferred to call me by my surname. Iida appeared to share the sentiment, but he nodded to me.

I asked them both how they were and they gave short responses, before we all fell into silence. It was strange. Not long ago, we'd been fighting for our lives against a villain, and now we were all standing here, unsure what to say. I didn't think it had sunk in and I wondered if my dreams tonight would be plagued by nightmares.

The silence extended on, but it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just there. Eventually, a nurse came in, bringing new pain killers for Iida and Midoriya and I took it as a cue for me to retire for the night. The nurses from the wing I was in were probably already annoyed by my absence, but I needed to check on them.

I left with a short good night and Shoto's hand brushed against mine as I walked passed him, bringing a small smile to my face despite the exhaustion I felt. My lips still tingled from the kiss we'd shared as I walked back to my room and I felt my chest squeeze as I thought about his words earlier.

 _I think I'd rather it be anyone but you._

I couldn't help but agree. Ever since my dad had died, it had basically just been my mum and me. I'd had a few friends in middle school, and since I started at U.A., I'd been able to experience caring for more people, but knowing Shoto had had such a significant effect on my life. He was easily one of the people I cared for most and my mind drifted to the sports festival and how helpless I'd felt, watching him struggle with the burden of his Quirk.

We'd both come a long way since starting at U.A., and it gave me a giddy feeling in my chest to know that Shoto cared for me as I did for him. As I arrived back at my own hospital room, I hoped that my relationship with Shoto would continue to grow. Something told me that would be the case.

The nurse there scolded me for visiting other patients while I was a patient myself and I gave her a sheepish grin and a half-hearted apology. I didn't regret my decision. Checking on my friends would always be important to me and I didn't think I'd be able to sleep after tonight if I didn't.

The nurse gave me some hospital issue clothes, before forcing me into a bed with a hawkish gaze on me. I wasn't trying to escape now anyway so it didn't bother me.

I was surprised though, when she handed me a pill and a cup of water.

"It's so you sleep through the night. Your Quirk's listed as mental and we provide sleeping aids to people with them so they can rest easily."

I blinked in shock before a smile took over my face. I hadn't had this when I was in the hospital after USJ and I didn't know if it was a Hosu City policy or if they hadn't given it to me at the time because of my injuries. But I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I took the pill easily with a quick thank you and the nurse smiled gently at me before she left the room.

As I fell back against the bed, my mind was swarming with thoughts. _Shoto. Nomu. Iida. Hero Killer_. I could barely think, but as I felt the drowsiness begin to affect me, all those thoughts left my mind, and for the first time in a long time, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Well would you look at that, they finally kissed! Awww, young love!**

 **I really struggled to find the balance this chapter between keeping canon events that are important for both storylines and making Mirai's presence meaningful. So, I'm sorry if this chapter's a bit iffy, but I tried (another reason it was uploaded late, oops sorry). Also a fair few things in this chapter were needed to set up some major plot points once we get to the third season. (SO EXCITED)**

 **Hopefully the next few chapters should be smoother though!**

 **Also, don't forget to check out my new story when I upload it!**

 **Red Order: The Shifting Hero (Bakugo/OC, Kirishima twin fic!) (First chapter will be uploaded shortly!)**

 **Reviews:**

 **I'm just going to answer all the reviews and recurring comments as one sorry, because there are a lot of reviews, I'm exhausted and nobody needs to read me saying the same thing three times. But thank you so much guys! It really means a lot to see you guys reviewing and enjoying my story! Seriously, every time I get a notification saying I have a review I get really excited to see what you guys think.**

 **Mirai and Shoto turn up** ** _slightly_** **earlier, however, it's nothing significant, especially since it's kind of awkward to turn up any earlier since Shoto took literally two minutes to get there in canon, but yeah, there's a slight change. :)**

 **Thank you for the comments on Mirai's character! One of my big factors in creating Mirai was I didn't want her to be just another OC who's OP and changes entire battle scenes for no particular reason? But I also didn't want her to be an irrelevant addition to the plot line so that's been interesting. I'm really excited to start season 3 though because I've already planned out how it's going to go and there are a few things I've been setting up for it if you look closely. :D**

 **SLOW BURN IS OVER NOW GUYS! That's not to say Shoto and Mirai are suddenly deeply in love and nothing could tear them apart, but their relationship was never supposed to be some complicated mess that was only angst. They were awkward fiances, turned classmates, turned something more and now they're ******. I wanted to create a character that Shoto learns to trust and care for, to see how that effects his character growth as well. (They've also been spending time together for like 5 months at this point.)**

 **I plan on doing a short interlude in between season 2 and 3 from Shoto's perspective, kind of covering their relationship and his thought processes on most of it, which I'm keen to do. So if you want to know details about Shoto's thoughts, look forward to that!**

 **Once again, thank you guys! Your support really helps me write, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	22. AN: Uni sucks

**AN: Uni sucks.**

* * *

Hey guys! Guess what? Both Uni and I suck!

I'm _really_ sorry, but unfortunately it's getting to final assessment/exam period and I need to catch up on the work that I've been putting off throughout the semester, so I won't be uploading any chapters for the next few weeks until the semester finishes.

 **TL,DR: NEXT UPDATE IN FOUR WEEKS! (Plus/minus a couple of days for me to get really drunk as a belated 21st).**

I'm just posting this AN so you guys know what's up and know I haven't just randomly abandoned it or anything, I just need to priorities right now. I thought it'd be fine, but my writing has been sub-par due to the stress and the story deserves more than 'I'll just get the chapter out even if it's a bit crappy', so I'm going to wait until I can really get into it before I upload the next chapter. :)

So yeah, the most I'll be doing is (hopefully) editing the previous chapters to get rid of some shitty writing when I need the study break, so if you want, feel free to re-read the story once I fix it up.

Don't worry though, once I'm on uni holidays, I plan on really getting into writing it so I can deliver you some good chapters and move into season three before uni starts up again (hopefully I'll be better organised next semester lol).

In other news, if you're still looking for something else to read, you can **check out my new story!** *Flagrant self-promotion* (also waiting for semester to end to update that one but you can still check it out).

* * *

 **Red Order: The Shifting Hero**

 **Summary:**

 **When Kasumi and Eijiro begin their first year at U.A., it's everything they could hope for! And more…**

 ** _"I heard that twins who have Quirks sometimes form a bond that they can communicate through. Do you guys have that?"_**

 ** _"I wish! We've tried a lot of things to check it. One time, Kasumi rode her bike straight into a wall just to see if I could feel anything..."_**

 **Bakugo/OC. Twin!Fic.**

* * *

 **Character Profile: Kasumi Kirishima**

 **Appearance: Red eyes, black shoulder-length hair, sharp teeth. Cover picture is Kasumi in a combination of settings (school uniform, hero costume, casual).**

 **Quirk: Density Shifting – She can manipulate her own density and the density of things she touches (if she understands their molecular structure) for short periods of time.**

 **Height: 167cm**

 **Birthday: October 16th**

 **Blood Type: O**

 **Likes: Food, beating her brother at video games.**

* * *

Once again, **I am _so_ sorry!** Thank you for understanding though! See you guys in a few weeks! :D


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